WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.8.11: what's new?
WhatsApp is rolling out a new update through the Google Play Beta Program, bringing the version up to 2.24.8.11.
What's new in this update? WhatsApp is rolling out a privacy feature to disable link previews, and it's available to some beta testers!
| Common questions | Answers |
|---|---|
| Name of the feature? | Disable link previews |
| Status? | Rolling out |
| Compatibility? | WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.8.11 is marked as a compatible update, but some users may experiment with the same feature by installing the previous update. |
| I've installed this update but I don't have this feature. Why? | This feature is available to some beta testers, and it is rolling out to more users over the coming days. |
| Thanks: | Akan, FastenM, and Technical MJ TV, for testing and reporting. |
| Previous news? | WhatsApp beta for iOS 24.7.10.73: what’s new? WhatsApp is working on a picture-in-picture feature for videos! |
DISABLE LINK PREVIEWS
In the article about the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.7.12 update, we announced that WhatsApp was working on a new feature to disable link previews. With this enhancement, WhatsApp aimed to bring an additional layer of privacy to the user experience, safeguarding their IP address from potential inference by third-party websites. Thanks to the latest WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.8.11 update, which is available on the Google Play Store, we discovered that WhatsApp is now rolling out the feature to disable link previews!
As you can see in this screenshot, some beta testers can now experiment with a new privacy setting to allow them to disable link previews. This feature is designed to give users more control over their privacy while using WhatsApp, providing them with the option to disable the automatic generation of links they share. By allowing users to disable link previews, they can prevent external websites from potentially tracking their IP addresses through these previews, mitigating the risk of inadvertently exposing their browsing activity to third-party entities.
We believe that the introduction of this feature brings a significant advancement to the user experience. By allowing users to disable link previews, they can protect their IP addresses from potential inference by third-party websites. This enhanced privacy feature ensures that users have greater control over their online interactions and reinforces their ability to safeguard sensitive information. It is important to note that when a user chooses to disable link previews, it impacts only their own experience. By opting to disable link previews, users won't receive automatic previews of the links they send. However, they will still receive rich link previews from other users who haven't disabled this feature.
The privacy feature to disable link previews is available to some beta testers that install the latest update of WhatsApp beta for Android from the Google Play Store, and it is rolling out to even more people over the coming days.
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