WhatsApp has begun rolling out a new security feature designed to help users spot potential impersonation scams before starting conversations with unknown phone numbers.
- WhatsApp has begun rolling out a new security feature designed to help users spot potential impersonation scams before starting conversations...
- The update, which launched globally on June 24, 2026, introduces pre-chat trust warnings on both Android and iOS devices to...
- The warning screen may display details including the phone number’s country code, whether the number is saved in the user’s...
- The new feature is designed to encourage users to pause and verify unfamiliar numbers before engaging.
Keep reading for the full breakdown on cybersecurity — everything you need to know is covered below.
The update, which launched globally on June 24, 2026, introduces pre-chat trust warnings on both Android and iOS devices to help users make safer decisions before opening a chat.
How WhatsApp’s Pre-Chat Trust Warnings Work
“WhatsApp now checks the phone number before someone tries to open a chat with it. If WhatsApp doesn’t see signs that the phone number entered by the user is already trusted, it shows a screen that asks them to confirm whether they actually trust this person,” WABetaInfo wrote.
The warning screen may display details including the phone number’s country code, whether the number is saved in the user’s contacts, and whether both users share mutual groups. Users can then choose to continue with the chat or cancel it, while the recipient is not notified of either action.
“If WhatsApp shows this warning, you should take a moment to actually read the details instead of starting the chat. A different country code is already a strong reason to stop and verify,” WABetaInfo noted.
Common messaging scams, including the well-known “Hi Mum” and “I changed my number” schemes, often rely on victims responding without verifying who is contacting them. The new feature is designed to encourage users to pause and verify unfamiliar numbers before engaging.
WhatsApp Security Update Has Limits
The screening of unknown numbers is carried out through on-device processing, allowing WhatsApp to detect potential risks without compromising its end-to-end encryption or sending users’ address book data to Meta’s servers.
Cybersecurity experts caution that the feature is not foolproof. “If a scammer is already saved as a contact for some reason, this warning may not appear at all. In addition, not every unfamiliar number is a scam either. Someone you know might have simply switched to a new phone number for a completely normal reason,” WABetaInfo added.
The update could be particularly useful in countries such as Nigeria, where WhatsApp is widely used for personal and business communication. According to Bitdefender, the platform remains a frequent target for impersonation scams, phishing attempts, fake job offers, and cryptocurrency fraud because of its massive user base and phone number-based messaging system.
The pre-chat trust warning is part of a broader security roadmap Meta first outlined in late 2025, with the feature expected to reach users worldwide over the coming weeks.