WhatsApp is about to make profile photos much more interesting

WhatsApp is working on another feature to increase users’ privacy: by letting them share a different profile photo and username with specific people.

The alternate profile feature allows users to mask their information when someone new reaches out — or perhaps make sure their boss sees a slightly more serious photo than the NSFW photo they want to share with friends.

Currently, WhatsApp users can hide their profile picture from people who are not in contact. However, the new feature allows them to set a different photo and name that will be visible until or if they decide to add new people to their contacts.

They are also expected to be able to do the same for existing contacts, meaning certain people will only see the secondary profile.

So if you don’t want your mother or ex to see that hilarious new profile photo from your holiday in Magaluf, problem solved.

The new feature was spotted by WABetaInfo in the latest WhatsApp beta update 2.23.23.4 for Android, available on the Google Play Store.

However, it is unknown when it will be released.

The alternate profile feature adds a new layer of security to the app, which is working on some new privacy features.

In May, WhatsApp introduced its new chat lock feature, which allows users to add a password to specific chats and save them in a special folder. Moreover, you can see blocked chat notifications at awkward times, like when you just passed the phone to a friend to view some photos.

Last month, Metas App announced that the folder would now be completely hidden and not grouped with all your other chats in a rather conspicuous (or some would say suspicious) folder.

A few days earlier, it was announced that the company was also testing disappearing voice notes that can only be listened to once.

Voice messaging was introduced in 2013 and has been a popular feature of the app ever since.

In 2021, the ‘View once’ feature was introduced for photos and videos, meaning once the recipient opens a message, it’s gone forever.

This move was seen as a big step in privacy, so it’s no surprise that the company appears to be expanding the feature to voice notes.

By adding a ‘Listen Once’ feature, users have the same level of privacy, knowing that the message can only be listened to once and cannot be forwarded to others.

How to limit your profile picture on WhatsApp

Even though anyone can message you on WhatsApp if they haven’t been blocked before, you might not want to share your profile photo with everyone.

WhatsApp’s new alternative profile feature will provide a useful new solution here, but for now, until it’s released, another solution is to limit your profile photo to contacts only – and even then you can deselect individuals and prevent them from seeing your photo.

How to increase your privacy.

1. Open WhatsApp
2. Go to Settings and click on Privacy
3. Click Profile Photo
4. There are four options available to you here, meaning you can show your profile picture to everyone, just your contacts, only your contacts except the people you select from your contact list, or no one
5. To deselect specific people and prevent them from seeing your profile photo, click ‘My Contacts Except…’ and select the contacts you don’t want to share the photo with