WhatsApp started rolling out this week. And it looks like the company may soon be implementing another overdue feature. With the latest beta version of its iOS app, WhatsApp added an option that allows users to block certain people from seeing their recent scene status .
If you’re unfamiliar with this part of WhatsApp, it’s the feature that shows when someone last checked the app, and it’s a way of finding out if a contact might have seen your message, even if they’ve turned off read receipts . For a while now, WhatsApp has only allowed you to limit who can see your status to your contacts. You can also turn off the feature entirely, but you couldn’t prevent specific people from seeing this information.
However, WhatsApp iOS Beta version 22.9.0.70 adds a new option “My Contacts Except…” in the “Recently Seen” section of the app’s privacy settings. Corresponding WABetaInfo, adding a person to this list also prevents you from seeing their status. The outlet says WhatsApp is also implementing more granular privacy controls for both profile photos and sections. With the feature now in beta testing on both Android and iOS, it probably won’t be long before it’s officially available in WhatsApp.
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