WhatsApp has just unveiled a new feature to strengthen the security and privacy of your private messages.
In a blog post published this Wednesday, April 23, 2025, WhatsApp announced the deployment of a new feature. Called Advanced Chat Privacy, it complements other instant messaging security measures, such as end-to-end encryption, ephemeral messages, and chat locking.
A tool to prevent files from being downloaded outside of WhatsApp
WhatsApp’s Advanced Chat Privacy feature prevents data from being extracted from a conversation. If someone in the group tries to download a shared file, they’ll see the following error message: ” Unable to export chat. Advanced Chat Privacy has been enabled, which prevents this chat from being exported. ”
Enabling the setting also prevents users from mentioning Meta AI in messages or asking it questions. For now, it’s still possible to take screenshots of the chat, but that could change as WhatsApp plans to add new features for even more privacy and protection.
WhatsApp groups are increasingly becoming an extension of our real-life social relationships. They can include people we’re more or less close to. That’s why this feature is particularly useful when you’re chatting in groups with people you don’t know very well and with whom you’re discussing inherently sensitive topics, Meta points out.
How to enable Advanced Chat Privacy on WhatsApp?
The Advanced Chat Privacy feature is unique to each conversation. You can therefore choose to enable it for only certain chat groups or private messages. Enabling it is very simple:
- Open the WhatsApp app and click on the name of the chat you want to strengthen,
- Then click on Advanced Chat Privacy.
WhatsApp says this is an early version and is likely to evolve to “ensure better protection“. While WhatsApp says the feature has been rolled out and is available to everyone using the latest version of the app, you may not have access to the option yet.
