New WhatsApp update is finally letting people leave group chats quietly

Whatsapp users will also be able to choose who can see them when they're online

WhatsApp is making it easier for its users to leave a group chat. The company announced a range of new features aimed at protecting users' privacy via a blog post on August 9. One of the updates lets users leave WhatsApp group chats without notifying other members. Post-update, instead of alerting the full group when a member leaves, only admins will be notified. Users will also be able to choose who can see them when they're online. The new update will let users select who can and can't see when they're online, allowing people to check WhatsApp without their friends and family knowing when they're active on the app.

The blog post also included a screenshot blocking update for "View Once" messages. The feature, introduced last year, already lets users send messages and media that disappear after being viewed. The company is now testing a feature that will allow users to block people from screenshotting these temporary messages, although there is currently no set timeline for when this feature will be rolled out to users. Meta's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, said in a statement shared on Facebook that the new updates were part of an attempt to build "new ways to protect your messages and keep them as private and secure as face-to-face conversations."