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WhatsApp's new feature that prevents other users from taking screenshots of your profile picture | Philip Okoampah Kwaning

This upcoming feature was found in the latest WhatsApp beta for Android by WABetaInfo. It will be located in the Privacy section of the Settings menu, according to tomsguide. When trying to take a screenshot of a profile picture with the blocking tool enabled, a notification appeared stating they couldn't take a screenshot “due to app restrictions.”

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WhatsApp introduced the option to prevent users from saving others' profile photos about five years ago, but this doesn't stop screenshotting. Blocking the ability to screenshot directly reinforces user privacy and consent, according to WABetaInfo.

Is this a big issue?

Taking unauthorized screenshots of WhatsApp profile pictures may not be a major problem for most users, but it does concern some. There are posts on Reddit where people express worry about this issue. Some even wonder if it's possible to find out who screenshotted their WhatsApp profile pic.

Writer Bilge Tekin proposed a Screenshot Restriction feature for WhatsApp in 2021, suggesting it could also apply to chat rooms. Testers liked the idea of restricting others from sharing private conversations.

While there haven't been official studies on this, it could appeal to a niche subset of users. Neither Telegram nor Signal offer a feature like this.

To try the new tool, users need to join the Google Program Beta Program and install the beta version of WhatsApp. The blocking update may not be available to everyone yet, but it will roll out to more users in the coming weeks, according to WABetaInfo.