WhatsApp Brings Updated Group Privacy Settings to Android and iOS, Consecutive Voice Messages Playback Comes to WhatsApp Web

WhatsApp is remotely activating the Group Privacy Settings feature in iOS beta version 2.19.110.20 and Android beta version 2.19.298.

After unveiling the group privacy setting for Indian users, WhatsApp has now started testing the feature in other markets as well. The feature was spotted in the latest Android and iOS beta of WhatsApp Messenger, and there has been a slight tweak to it as well. Instead of the Nobody option that was available earlier in Group Privacy Settings – wherein no user could add you to a group without consent – a new Blacklist option has been introduced. Separately, WhatsApp has reportedly also introduced the ability to listen to voice messages consecutively on the desktop version of the app as well.

Starting with the new and improved Group Privacy Settings, WhatsApp tracker WABetaInfo reports that WhatsApp is remotely activating the feature in iOS beta version 2.19.110.20 and Android beta version 2.19.298. This includes the new Blacklist feature, that wasn’t introduced before. It is possible that you may not see the feature even after updating to the latest versions. The tracker recommends backing up chat history and reinstalling WhatsApp to get the latest configurations and activating the feature.

Check for the new option by going to WhatsApp Settings > Account > Privacy > Groups. The three options that now show up include Everyone, My Contacts, and My Contacts Except. When the feature first rolled out, there was a Nobody option, instead of the My Contacts Except option. This new option will let you select the users who have to gain approval before adding you to a group. You can either select a few users, or click on the Select All option to include the entire contact list.

WABetaInfo notes that adding new contacts to your phone will require you to go and manually add that additional person to the list. The My Contacts option, on the other hand, will enable users you have in your address book to add you to groups, and the Everyone option won’t add any restriction.

As mentioned, WABetaInfo also reports that WhatsApp Web also gets the ability to listen to voice messages consecutively. This Consecutive Voice Messages feature was spotted on Android in March, and now it has arrived on the Web version as well. As the name suggests, this feature allows for auto-playing of two or more voice messages sent one after the other.