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WhatsApp is developing a new privacy feature that gives senders more control over their shared media. Users will be able to prevent recipients from automatically saving images and videos, enhancing data protection and preventing misuse.

With over 3.5 billion users globally, WhatsApp, Meta's most popular instant messaging service, is aiming to provide one of its most robust privacy features to date. A new level of control and protection for senders will be added with the next version, which will allow users to transmit images and videos without allowing the recipient to download them automatically.

WhatsApp often releases upgrades to enhance voice, video, and chat capabilities. This time, however, the emphasis is on user security and data protection for the shared media on the network. A new privacy feature that will allow users to prevent media from being saved on the recipient's device is being tested by the firm. Users will no longer be able to store images or movies to their phone's gallery or file manager, but they may still transmit them for the recipient to see. The sender has more control over how their shared information is treated thanks to this new capability.

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This function is revolutionary for users who exchange sensitive or private images and videos on a regular basis. Up until now, WhatsApp saved all material automatically in the storage on the phone. Users who were concerned about their data being misused were alarmed by this.

Now, WhatsApp is addressing that concern directly. With the new feature, users can choose whether or not the media they send should be saved on the recipient’s device. This could help prevent data leaks, misuse, or accidental sharing of private content.

The sender has complete control thanks to the update. Users will be able to choose whether or not to have their photos or videos automatically stored before transmitting them. Like the Disappearing Messages functionality, this setting will be accessible as an auto-save on/off toggle.

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It's interesting to note that this privacy technology will work with more than simply media files. WhatsApp could expand it to standard text messages as well, improving conversation privacy.