WhatsApp introduces machine learning-based scam alerts feature

WhatsApp has begun implementing two distinct changes for iOS users, focusing on both contact management and group dynamics.

One of the changes allows new contacts to be saved using only a username, eliminating the need to link them to a phone number. This feature is already available to certain users on both Android and iOS, according to WABetaInfo.

This addition aligns with the progressive expansion of the username system within the app. Simultaneously, Meta is testing on iOS a tool designed to send automatic welcome messages to members joining groups.

The new field for registering a username is located in the WhatsApp contact creation screen. To access it, the user must press the ' +' button in the 'Chats' section and select 'New Contact'. Previously, identifying a contact was strictly tied to their phone number.

This improvement also helps optimize privacy features. For example, a contact registered this way may have permission to view certain statuses or profile data, such as the icon and description, even when those options are restricted only to the contact list.

The novelty has started appearing for individuals who updated WhatsApp through the App Store, and beta users have also located this new field. However, there is no official timeline established for its full release, as distribution occurs gradually.

Regarding group functionalities on iOS, Meta is developing an option that will allow administrators to automatically trigger a greeting for each new participant. This function had already been identified in the Android beta version and recently appeared in the iOS beta version 26.31.10.73, although it has not yet been released to testers.

The welcome message will have a specific bubble called 'automatic greeting'. It is important to note that the rest of the group members will not be able to see it, but the new member can interact with the content. Even in groups with multiple administrators, there will only be one automatic welcome message, whose text will be shared among all of them and editable by any administrator.

While the welcome tool is still under development without a set date for the public, the username feature has already started appearing for a portion of users, diversifying the ways of identification within WhatsApp.

Users from Brazil and various other nations are reporting that WhatsApp has been blocked since the beginning of this afternoon, the 3rd. The application unexpectedly stopped working, mainly on mobile devices, displaying an error notification.

According to reports that began accumulating about an hour ago, the affected accounts cannot send messages or use any of the application's features.

The complaints were concentrated on the platform X, formerly known as Twitter, where users from various regions described the same inconvenience: a blockage that occurred without any prior warning and without providing a clear justification.

At the time of writing this note, there is still no independent confirmation regarding the scope of the problem or a unified reason for the cases presented. Tecnoblog contacted Meta, the owner of WhatsApp, and is awaiting an official response. This story will be updated as soon as the company comments.