Profile pictures of WhatsApp users cannot be saved. The service now also prevents screenshots of them from being taken on the iPhone.
WhatsApp is now putting an end to screenshots of other profile pictures on the iPhone. This has not been possible on Android since April. With the screenshot lock, the service wants to protect the privacy of its users better than before. Above all, to prevent other people’s profile pictures from being used for criminal purposes. For example, to harass users or commit identity theft.
A few years ago, the service had already removed the option for users to download and save other users’ profile pictures.
However, the screenshot lock does not offer 100% protection. It is still possible to include other profile pictures in the contact information – but only in a smaller format. In the native WhatsApp application for PC and Mac, you can still take screenshots of other users’ large-format profile pictures.
WhatsApp recently introduced additional protection to protect the user account from unauthorized access. Since then, users have been able to store their email address. This function serves as additional protection so that they can identify themselves as the owner of the WhatsApp account. Previously, this was only possible using the telephone number.
One reason for verification via email could be that users want to install the messenger on a new phone. If cell phone reception is poor, users do not need to wait for a verification code via SMS, but can have it sent to the email address they have stored on WhatsApp.
WhatsApp has been the most popular messenger in this country for years. There is no advertising, the app is tied to the user’s phone number rather than a profile. Messages are protected with end-to-end encryption, which ensures that they are only visible in plain text on the devices of the users involved, but not on the service. WhatsApp developers regularly release new features.
