WhatsApp Reveals Feature That Blocks People From Adding You To Group Chats

Whether it is the millions of “Good morning” message multiplied into infinity, the lame jokes, or dozens of forwarded messages, group chats are the digital version of “hell on Earth.” You can always opt to mute or leave the group, but its frustrating because you didn't want to be a part of it in the first place! Fret no more though, WhatsApp has a new feature that has your back.

Whatsapp has rolled out a new privacy setting for Android and iOS Whatsapp users wherein you can control who can add you to group chats without permission. All you have to do is go to the Settings page, click on “Account” > “Privacy” > “Groups” sections.

You’ll see three options to set the number of people having the power to add you to group chats- “Everyone”, “My Contacts” or “My Contacts Except”, with the last option allowing you to block particular people from your contacts list.

The ones blocked won’t be able to add you to groups without your permission and will instead get the option to invite you to the group, giving you three days to accept the invitation.

"In those cases, an admin who can’t add you to a group will be prompted to send a private invite through an individual chat, giving you the choice of joining the group," WhatsApp explained.

"As people turn to groups for important conversations, users have asked for more control over their experience," a WhatsApp spokesperson said. "Today, we're introducing a new privacy setting and invite system to help you decide who can add you to groups. My Contacts means only users you have in your address book can add you to groups. My Contacts Except provides additional control for who among your contacts can add you to a group."

The original version of the update also had the option of "Nobody" which has now been removed from the updated version. But you can still block everybody from adding you to group chats by simply ticking “Select All” under the “My Contacts Except” option.