05/03/2023
WhatsApp is working on a feature to mute calls from unknown numbers
As you can see in this screenshot, WhatsApp is really working on a new feature that will allow users to silence calls from unknown numbers, for a future update of the app. The toggle will be located in the app settings and, once enabled, calls from unknown numbers are always silenced, but they will still be shown in the calls list and notification center.
This new feature may also help users reduce spam calls significantly: in recent years, spam calls have become a growing problem with scammers and their unsolicited calls, and instant messaging apps are no exception. In this regard, we also shared a poll on Twitter asking users if they had ever received a spam call on WhatsApp to get an estimate of the prevalence of this issue.
Spam calls can also be dangerous: scammers may call users in order to steal personal information or trick people into making payments or providing sensitive data. However, WhatsApp provides the option to block and report these callers and, thanks to this feature, WhatsApp users will finally avoid receiving calls from unknown numbers by muting them, which are often associated with spam calls.
The ability to silence unknown callers is a feature under development and it will be released in a future update of the app. As always, we plan to publish an additional article, even for a different platform of the app, where we may share further details about this feature.