Whatsapp makes major change to user profiles

Farewell screenshots.

In another boost for privacy on WhatsApp, it will soon be impossible to screenshot profile pictures – helping to stop people impersonating or harassing other users.

The popular messaging platform removed the ability to download and save profile photos back in 2019, but since then, an easy workaround has been to screenshot them. 

This meant images could be used without the owner’s consent, potentially for malicious purposes, perhaps by creating a false profile or sharing it without permission.

Now however, the latest WhatsApp beta for Android no longer allows profile screenshots.

Instead, users attempting to snap an image are met with a black screen and a message stating ‘Can’t take a screenshot due to app restrictions’. Anyone who has ever tried to take a screenshot of a Netflix show will have found a similar black screen.

This new function removes the previous loophole. Although users could potentially still capture an image of a profile picture using another phone, this would be much harder to pass off as a legitimately acquired photo, especially if trying to create a spoof account.

The update was spotted by WABetaInfo. Revealing the function, the team wrote: ‘In our opinion, WhatsApp introduced this feature to enhance user privacy by providing an additional layer of protection against unauthorised access and sharing of profile photos. 

‘Profile photos are often personal images that users may not want to be shared or saved by others without their consent. 

‘By allowing users to block screenshots of their profile photos, WhatsApp gives users more control over their privacy and ensures that their images aren’t shared or stored without permission.’

The move comes just months after the WhatsApp team began beta testing another profile-related privacy function – the ability to share different profile pictures and usernames with certain people.

WhatsApp users can already hide their profile photo from those who aren’t contacts, but the new function will allow them to set up a different photo and name visible until, or if, they decide to add new people to their contacts.

They are also expected to be able to do the same for existing contacts, so for instance, if you don’t want your mum or boss seeing your tanned booty on holiday in Magaluf, no problem.

Other privacy features rolled out to the live app for all in recent months include Chat Lock – the ability to hide your ‘most intimate conversations from prying eyes – and ‘View Once’ voice notes, meaning they can only be listened to a single time by both the sender and recipient, and cannot be forwarded.

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