WhatsApp usernames will have an interesting privacy feature | Infinium-tech
WhatsApp has been working on adding support for usernames for a while now, and while the feature still hasn’t been released to the public, the service has now added an interesting twist.
In the latest beta version of WhatsApp for Android (2.24.18.2), you can set a username PIN so that people you haven’t previously interacted with won’t be able to send you messages if they know your username.
This seems like an incredibly useful feature that will reduce spam (which is a prevalent problem on WhatsApp these days). With a PIN, if someone you’ve never interacted with on WhatsApp before wants to send you a message, they’ll need to know not only your username, but also your PIN (which must be at least four digits long).
On the other hand, conversations with people you’re already in touch with will continue as if nothing has changed, even if usernames have been applied to everyone.
Unfortunately, it’s unclear when the username feature or PIN support will come out of beta, but given WhatsApp’s usual development timeline, we’d be surprised if these go live before the end of the year.
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