As of: March 15, 2024, 3:29 p.m
By: Stella Henrich
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WhatsApp is upgrading security features.
A lock symbol is added.
But not all users can use the function yet.
Munich – The new feature in the chat view is represented by a small lock symbol.
Initial reports indicate that some test users already have access to this feature for Android devices.
The latest WhatsApp version 2.24.6.11 is already available for beta testers in the Google Play Store.
Instead of the “Status” field, this symbol is now displayed below the contact or group name.
According to
WABeta.Info,
this feature is intended to improve security for users.
A screenshot of the new application was first published on X (formerly Twitter) (see screenshot).
Don't be surprised, for many users the menu already looks different.
WhatsApp introduces lock symbol: New feature only appears for a short time
The display of the lock symbol signals the end-to-end encryption of a message.
However, the symbol only seems to be visible for a short time.
As
chip.de
further reports, after a few seconds the usual status message, such as “online”, is displayed again.
Or “
writes”, “if the chat participant is active”, adds
giga.de.
The new lock symbol gives users the advantage of being able to see at a glance whether the current chat is end-to-end encrypted or not.
This means you can be sure that no third party can break into this chat and read messages or listen in on conversations, the report continues.
How important secure encryption can be was recently demonstrated by the wiretapping scandal involving high-ranking officers in the Bundeswehr, who were spied on via the Webex platform.
WhatsApp introduces lock symbol: Initially only available for beta testers
Initially, the new beta version of WhatsApp is only available to beta testers.
However, as reported by wabetainfo.com
, WhatsApp plans
to make the new feature available to a wider audience.
Further information about security options and protecting your privacy can be found on the WhatsApp website.
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This is what the lock symbol means:
The chat is end-to-end encrypted
Messages can only be encrypted or decrypted on the devices on which the chat is sent and received.
They are therefore only readable there.
With the introduction of this new feature, WhatsApp is likely to once again underline the security of the service.
Among other things, users can already protect their privacy in groups and communities by activating a PIN.
Users should definitely know these five settings for their data protection.
WhatsApp is increasing its security standards with a lock symbol: Users will soon be able to communicate with other services
After all, more than 2.78 billion people worldwide now use the messenger service.
According to the company, the application has been downloaded more than five billion times from the Google Play Store.
This has made the app an indispensable part of modern communication.
In the future, it will be possible for many WhatsApp users to communicate with users of other platforms such as Signal or Telegram, even if they do not have a WhatsApp account.
This is made possible by the so-called EU-related Digital Market Act.
However, security standards must be adhered to in order to ensure the protection of users' messages during the exchange.
This innovation is also intended to protect the privacy of users in the future.
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sthe
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The editor wrote this article and then used an AI language model for optimization at her own discretion. All information has been carefully checked. Find out more about our AI principles here.