WhatsApp unveils silence unknown call feature

WhatsApp now allows users to silence calls from unknown numbers after an uptick in complaints about nuisance calls.

WhatsApp now allows silencing calls from unknown numbers.

The Meta-owned messaging service has added the option to mute all incoming calls from private callers.

According to the Verge, people can set this feature through the app’s settings and going into ‘Privacy’, and then ‘Calls’ where you can toggle on ‘Silence Unknown Calls’ function.

WhatsApp say that it will give people the ability to “screen out spam, scams, and calls from unknown people for increased protection.”

When turned on, all sounds and visuals of an incoming call from a ‘unknown number’ will be blocked from appearing on your device’s screen.

The phone call will still be recorded in your call log as a “silenced unknown caller” in case you want to return the call.

This move comes after WhatsApp announced they were upping their measures to machine learn what a spam call was as users had reported a was a rise in “bad actors” getting through their tech.

A spokesperson told the online news site TechCrunch: “WhatsApp is a leader among end-to-end encrypted services in protecting user safety. We continue to provide several safety tools within WhatsApp like Block + Report, consistently build user safety education and awareness, as well as, proactively weed out bad-actors from our platform. However, bad actors find different ways to scam users. International scam calls is a new way that bad actors have recently adopted.”