WhatsApp is working on allowing members to quietly leave groups without notifying existing members. Now, it seems that members may actually know you left the group. The Meta Platforms app is testing out another addition to groups that shows a list of previous members who were in the group. According to the recent post by WABetaInfo, the feature was spotted in the group info section,
As seen in the screenshot, the list of ‘previous participants’ can be accessed just below the list of current members within the group. But what is more cringy, is the fact that this list is accessible by everyone. This defeats the purpose of leaving a group ‘quietly’.
It’s still in beta, so fingers crossed
The new feature that has been spotted is still only in beta testing. So, it's a relief that we won’t see the feature rollout so soon. Plus, it would make no sense to release it before the ‘quiet exit’ feature is live. Also, there are chances that users might push back on the feature and WhatsApp changes its mind.
Many users will be much happier if the list is limited to being accessed only by admins. It is unclear at this time if there is any way members can reach back to anyone from the list. We would have to wait for more details in the coming weeks.
Privacy in Communities
Signing up for the app would require a phone number. Getting added to groups can also be restricted now. Users are given a choice of whether or not they can be added by their contacts or not. But the Communities feature is bound to bring together a lot of people from all over the world.
WhatsApp Communities had been unveiled by the company last month. The changes that we’re seeing to the group user experience are in line with this new feature. I do feel that it’s about time the company keeps phone numbers private. At least in the communities that would be created. The app could enable using your display name only in the special community groups.
This will keep your information private and if someone wants to reach out personally, they can reach out with a personal message. Users can then choose whether or not they want to share their personal information or not.
If you’ve joined groups on Facebook or even joined someone’s live stream on Facebook Gaming, then there are similar experiences here too. When posting on a group or chatting your official account is listed. However, if someone wants to connect with you, they will need to send you a friend request. Or they can text you on Messenger, but chances are that it will end up in your spam list.
