WhatsApp won’t allow you to click screenshot of a users’ profile picture. Everything we know so far
In another privacy-focused update, WhatsApp will no longer allow users to take screenshots of other users’ profile pictures on the instant messaging app. The latest update is part of an increased push by WhatsApp to add more privacy-centric features to the app. Notably, users already have the ability to share their personal data on WhatsApp via one-off video or photo views, which also can’t be screenshotted by the receiver.
The new update was first spotted by The Android Police and hasn’t been officially announced by Meta or WhatsApp. The report notes that the profile picture screenshot block appears to be a server-side push from WhatsApp, rather than being limited by app versions.
The Android Police report notes that on some devices, attempting to take a screenshot of a user’s profile picture now results in the message “Can’t take a screenshot due to app restrictions”. Meanwhile, on other devices, it is possible to take a screenshot, but the display image appears blank.
We tried to take a screenshot of WhatsApp profile pictures on several devices using both the beta and stable versions of the app, but the screenshot wasn’t captured for the same reason of “app restrictions”. However, we were still able to capture screenshots via the mini pop-up window that appears when you click on a contact’s profile picture.
While users may still be able to find a workaround to the screenshot restrictions by capturing the image using another phone’s camera or simply opening the WhatsApp application on their desktop, it is still a welcome new upgrade from the Meta-led instant messaging platform.
The Android Police report notes that the new profile picture blocking feature gives WhatsApp an edge over competitors like Signal or Telegram, which claim to be more privacy-focused (Signal) but still lack the ability to block profile picture screenshots
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Published: 14 Mar 2024, 10:30 AM IST