WhatsApp has introduced a new 'Context Card' feature to enhance the safety of group chats. Users who are added to a group by an unfamiliar person will now see contextual information on the Meta-owned messaging app. This adds to existing capabilities like silencing unknown callers, chat locks, in-app privacy check-ups, and controlling who can add you to groups. Along with a shortcut to leave the group, the feature is intended to give WhatsApp users pertinent information about the group to which they have been added. Users can already opt out of strangers adding them to groups through the settings provided by the platform. Here's all you need to know about this latest update from Meta.
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A 'Context Card' will appear when a user gets added to a group by someone who is not in their contacts. This card pops up in the chat window and contains group-specific information, providing users with context. The new context cards for group chats will clearly show the name of the WhatsApp user who added them to the group. An image of the feature illustrates how the card displays the name set by the user, shown with the tilde symbol (~) when an unknown person sends a text in a group chat.
Additionally, users will receive a notification if they were "added by a non-contact" to a group. The person who created the group's name will also be displayed to the new member on the context card. It goes without saying that the name will be determined by what the group creator has added to their WhatsApp profile.
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The context card provides a Safety tools option to report inappropriate content if a user has been added to a group they do not wish to be a part of. In such cases, they can simply tap on the Exit Group option.
In 2019, WhatsApp rolled out a useful feature under Settings > Account > Privacy > Groups that let users regulate who may add them to a group. This feature allowed users to control who could access their private information on the app. When enabled, if someone from outside their contact list tries to add them to a group, the user will receive an invite to join.
