WhatsApp Blocks Chat Exports and Auto-Downloads with Advanced Privacy Feature
The new feature stops others from exporting chats or auto-downloading media, promising users tighter control over their conversations.
In a move that shows just how seriously Meta is taking privacy, or, perhaps, how seriously they want to appear to take it, WhatsApp has rolled out Advanced Chat Privacy.
This feature brings a new setting designed to keep your chats more private, and is now available on the latest version of WhatsApp (for iOS and Android users) and can be enabled in both one-on-one and group conversations.
When Advanced Chat Privacy is turned on, it blocks other users from exporting your messages to Notes, email, or other apps. It also stops media like photos and videos from being automatically saved to their phone’s gallery. On top of that, the feature disables Meta’s in-chat AI assistant from accessing your messages when the privacy mode is on.
This update is especially targeted at scenarios where you might be chatting with people you don’t know very well, like large community groups or event chats, but still want to keep things discreet. As WhatsApp puts it, the feature is “best used” in sensitive conversations where not everyone in the group may be a close contact.
Of course, it's not a bulletproof privacy bubble. Other users can still screenshot your messages. But according to WhatsApp, this is just the first version, with more privacy enhancements on the way. So, maybe, like Snapchat, users might get to know if screenshots of their conversations are taken, or perhaps a screenshot protection altogether. We’ll find out in time, though.
Emmanuel Oyedeji
Now, this new privacy push comes at a time when Meta is under increased scrutiny in the EU. Just recently, the European Commission slapped the company with a €200 million ($227 million) fine for violating the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Their offence was forcing users into a “pay or consent” model that didn’t offer a fair, less-personalized alternative to its ad-heavy services.
While Meta is facing its legal problems with regulators, WhatsApp seems to be on a mission to reinforce its reputation as a privacy-friendly messaging platform, especially compared to the wider Meta ecosystem. Features like disappearing messages, encrypted backups, chat locks, and now Advanced Chat Privacy all point in the same direction of user privacy and control.
Sure, the feature won’t stop every privacy leak, but it raises the bar on how easily your messages can leave WhatsApp without your say.
