Technical / WhatsApp is testing a profile photo privacy setting let users hide their profile photos from specific contact

Technical | WhatsApp for Android is testing a profile photo privacy setting. According to the report, through this feature, users will be able to hide their profile photo from a specific contact. This custom privacy setting may come with existing options, which include 'Everyone', 'My Contacts' and 'Nobody'. The new feature is said to be a part of enhanced privacy settings, which will also be part of the last seen and about status updates on WhatsApp.

New feature will work like this

According to the report, WhatsApp beta tracker WABetaInfo has noted that WhatsApp for Android beta version 2.21.21.2 hints about the new profile photo privacy setting. A screenshot shared by the source shows that the new setting will come through My contacts except.... The new setting will let you select the particular contacts you want to exclude from the people who will be able to see your profile photo.

The My contacts except… option is not likely to be limited to the profile photo privacy setting, but will also be available for Last Seen and About status updates, as previously reported by WABetaInfo.

It is currently unclear whether this change will initially be limited to Android only, although WABetaInfo previously showed an iPhone screenshot that suggested a similar custom privacy setting for the Last Seen option.

Have already brought such a feature

In 2017 WhatsApp introduced My contacts except… option for its status function. The same option came later in November 2019 for group privacy settings.

While the update has recently been spotted within the WhatsApp for Android beta release, it is not yet available to beta testers. It is also unclear whether WhatsApp will be rolling out the new custom privacy setting in phases, first for profile photos and later on last seen and status updates.