WhatsApp may have found solution to protect you from those shady group invites

Meta-owned chat app rolls out 'context cards' to help you figure out if you want to stick around in a new group

WhatsApp—the popular messaging app owned by Meta—is rolling out a fresh feature to keep you safe in those pesky group chats. Announced on Tuesday, the context card will soon be available to everyone and is already being introduced to users.

Here's how it works: if you’re added to a group by someone you don’t know, a handy context card pops up with all the juicy details—who added you, when the group was created, and who the mastermind behind it is. You can then decide to stick around or bail, plus check out some nifty safety tools.

"This includes who added you, how recently the group was created, and who created it," WhatsApp said.

“This update ramps up safety, building on features like silencing unknown callers, chat lock, in-app privacy check-up, and controlling who can add you to groups,” WhatsApp revealed.

It's perfect for when you meet new folks or groups and haven't saved them in your contacts, helping you figure out if it's a group you want to be in.

The context card also mirrors the experience in 1:1 messaging, giving you more context if you're messaged by someone you don't know.

The introduction of Context Cards builds on WhatsApp's existing suite of security features, including options to control who can add you to groups, silence unknown callers, and lock private chats.

By empowering users with more context about unfamiliar group invitations, WhatsApp is taking proactive steps to help protect its global user base from the growing threat of online scams and unwanted interactions within group messaging.