WhatsApp announced official news that it is introducing a new safety tool to enhance user protection. This feature will appear whenever someone who isn’t in a user’s contact list adds them to a group. It aims to prevent users from being unknowingly included in unfamiliar or potentially suspicious groups by providing key details such as the group’s name, the person who added them, and a reminder that the inviter is not saved in their contacts.

With this update, users can choose to leave a group instantly without opening or reading its messages. Notifications from such groups will be muted by default until the user decides whether to stay. If the group appears legitimate, they can review the chat for more context before engaging. This reduces exposure to scams, spam, or misleading messages.

• Group Messaging: A new safety overview that you’ll see whenever someone who isn’t in your contacts adds you to a WhatsApp group you might not recognize. This screen will show key details about the group and provide tips to help you stay safe. From there, you can leave the group without opening the chat. If the group looks familiar after reviewing the safety overview, you can choose to view the chat for more context. Until you decide to stay, all notifications from the group will remain muted.
• Individual Messaging: Sometimes scammers may try to connect with you elsewhere online before asking you to chat with them on private messaging apps like WhatsApp. To protect you from this, they are testing new ways to remind you to pause and think before engaging.

Users are encouraged to pause, question, and verify before responding to any suspicious or unfamiliar messages, especially those from unknown numbers making promises of quick money.

• PAUSE: Take a moment before replying. Consider whether the number is familiar and whether the message seems like a genuine request.
• QUESTION: Does the message make sense? Does it sound too good to be true? Is the sender requesting money, gift cards, or PIN codes? Are they offering unusually high pay for minimal work? Are they creating a sense of urgency to force immediate action? These are common warning signs of a potential scam.
• VERIFY: If the sender claims to be a friend or family member, confirm their identity through an alternative method of communication. For example, if the message comes via WhatsApp, place a direct phone call to the number you know belongs to them. If it arrives by SMS, verify through a WhatsApp call or another secure method.

The new WhatsApp Tool is designed to counter scams in which fraudsters add random users to groups promoting fake investments, giveaways, or urgent payment requests. By presenting safety information immediately, users can make informed choices and avoid being rushed into risky actions. WhatsApp is pairing this tool with tips to encourage users to verify links, review details, and think carefully before interacting with unknown sources.

This update complements WhatsApp’s existing anti-spam measures, which already detect and block millions of fraudulent accounts. In the first six months of this year alone, the platform banned over 6.8 million accounts connected to scam activities. The rollout is happening globally for Android and iOS users, though it may take a few days to appear for everyone.