Back in February 2024, we reported that WhatsApp was testing a new privacy tool to help secure profile photos. The feature now looks to be rolling out to users on the stable version of the popular messaging app.
As previously stated, the new features prevents users from taking screenshots of profile images. This will give users greater safety and control over who has access to their stuff. In the Beta test, attempts to take a screenshot resulted in a black screen or the error message “can’t take a screenshot due to app restrictions.” It now appears that some steady WhatsApp users are receiving the same message.
According to report, some users of the stable build are now unable to screenshot their profile pictures. and you discovered comparable results during our own experiments. subsequently attempted to take a screenshot of a profile photo, you were shown a black screen instead of the image you were intending to capture.
Interestingly, this does not appear to be the case for all users, since some can still snap screenshots. additionally discovered that, while you couldn’t grab screenshots of individual profile pictures, you could capture profile pictures in group chats.
While the feature is being rolled out, there appears to be no way to prevent it if someone wishes to allow people to screenshot their profile pictures. It is unknown whether it will ever become an optional feature.
This is far from the first feature to help safeguard your privacy on WhatsApp, with options including adjusting your profile photo privacy settings, view-once media, and status privacy settings. It is, however, another step forward in providing users with a more secure messaging app, and it is likely that an increasing number of users will discover this feature on their devices in the coming weeks.