How it works
A user can make voice and video calls and send messages (including photos, videos, voice messages, documents and their location) to another user or group of users in WhatsApp.
Key features include:
• Personal WhatsApp messages, voice/video calls and status updates are end-to-end encrypted so the contents can only be seen by the sender and the receiver
• Users can hide chats or send disappearing messages. Status updates vanish after 24 hours.
• Communities are used to connect multiple group chats related to specific topics
• Channels allow users to follow public updates from people or organisations
Users can chat with Meta AI (a chatbot) and use AI functions such as removing objects from photos or getting help writing messages. Conversations with MetaAI are not end-to-end-encrypted, and for 18+ accounts, these conversations are analysed to improve MetaAI.
Parental controls or safety settings available
There are no parental controls on WhatsApp. If a WhatsApp user has a person’s mobile phone number, they can tell if that person is also a WhatsApp user and send them a WhatsApp message. However, privacy and safety settings include:
• Blocking and reporting other people
• Blocking messages from unknown accounts when they exceed a high volume
• Silencing unknown callers
• Hiding personal information such as profile photo, about information, status updates, when they were last online or if they’ve read a message
• Controlling who can add a person to a group chat
• Group admins can prevent group members renaming the group, approving new members or saving media to their device automatically
