Messaging platform WhatsApp is testing a new feature to support user security and privacy called 'alternative profiles'.
The new feature, which appears in the latest beta version of the WhatsApp application on the Android platform, allows users to hide their personal information from strangers.
The new alternate profile feature will be available in the profile picture privacy settings screen and will allow users to create different photos and names that will be visible to contacts to which the user has not granted access. Information from their main profile.
For example, if you only allow contacts to see your profile photo, people outside your contact list won't be able to see it, but they will be able to see your other profile photo and name.
This feature adds a new layer of protection for users' personal information by assigning a second profile to unknown contacts.
This feature becomes more important when the WhatsApp platform allows each user to create their own unique ID (username).
The alternative profile feature is still under testing and will be limited to the beta version of WhatsApp for a while before it is rolled out to all users.
This feature is part of a suite of security and privacy features that the platform is currently testing, including key features, adding email to accounts, hiding the device's IP address during calls, and more.