WhatsApp has released the new beta version 2.25.33.11 to Android users through the Google Play Beta Program. With this update, the app introduces a new privacy tool that helps users control who can contact them. With this long-awaited privacy feature, users can now choose who can message them on WhatsApp.

You can choose who messages you

The new privacy setting is called “Who Can Message Me,” and users are given two options: Everyone and My Contacts. Everyone ensures that all new messages, including those from unknown contacts, appear directly in the main chat list. My Contacts, on the other hand, places messages from contacts not saved in the user’s contact list in a separate folder.

The update introduces a new feature called “Request Folder” to store messages from numbers not saved in the user’s contact list. This feature means that unknown messages will not appear directly in the main chat list, keeping the chat screen uncluttered. When the “My Contacts” setting is selected, messages from contacts not saved in the user’s contact list are placed in the Requests folder.

The Requests folder works similarly to Instagram’s message request system. Users can see the sender’s name, profile picture, and message before deciding whether to reply, delete, report, or block the message.

When a user replies to an incoming message, that conversation is moved to the main chat list. Messages from people who have registered usernames on WhatsApp also appear first in this Requests folder.

WhatsApp is also working on a username-based communication feature, allowing users to find and call others using usernames instead of phone numbers. This new feature is said to help protect privacy and make it easier to connect with people you don’t know. The WhatsApp username feature is expected to be available in 2026.