WhatsApp to roll out new privacy feature letting users control who sees their phone number

Popular messaging platform WhatsApp is planning to roll out a new privacy feature to further strengthen the protection of its users' personal information. The new feature will let users control precisely who can see their phone number during chats and calls.

The feature will offer four options for keeping a phone number visible. Users will be able to decide for themselves who can see their number and who cannot.

However, only those who have created a username on WhatsApp will get this feature. At present, contacting someone through a username automatically keeps the number hidden. The new feature will take that protection one step further.

Once the feature is launched, the default or primary option for keeping a phone number visible will be 'Nobody'. As a result, no one will be able to see the number without the user's permission.

Those who already have the number saved, however, will continue to see it during chats or calls as before. In other words, the new control will not apply to contacts who have already saved the number.

Altogether, this is Meta's initiative to ensure users' privacy and security when communicating through usernames. It is not yet known in detail when the new feature will reach all users.