WhatsApp’s new ‘Safety Overview’ tool helps avoid suspicious group adds

WhatsApp is rolling out a new feature called Safety Overview, aimed at helping users spot and avoid potential scams. Launching in India this week, the tool appears when you're added to a group by someone not in your contacts — a method often used by scammers. Instead of being added blindly, you’ll now see key group details up front, allowing you to decide whether to stay or leave.

The Safety Overview screen will show key details such as who added you, the group’s total number of members, the group creator, and the date it was created. It also offers safety tips to help you spot suspicious activity or phishing attempts, making group invites more transparent and secure.

Along with reviewing the group details, you can also choose whether to stay or leave. If the information seems familiar, you're free to browse the chat for more context. However, if you decide to exit, WhatsApp lets you leave quietly, without opening the chat or viewing any messages, according to Meta.

In either scenario, notifications from the group will remain muted until you confirm your decision by ticking a checkbox indicating you want to stay. This added layer of control helps users manage unwanted group adds with more privacy and ease.

For individual chats also, WhatsApp is testing a new safety feature that alerts users when they initiate a conversation with someone not saved in their contacts. This prompt will include additional context about the unknown user, helping people make more informed choices before engaging.

In a broader push against scams, Meta revealed that over 6.8 lakh accounts tied to scam operations have been banned.