WhatsApp is developing a new Scam Alert feature that will warn users when a message from an unknown contact appears to be suspicious. The feature was found in WhatsApp beta for Android 2.26.22.2 and is still under development.
The feature is designed to work entirely on the user’s device, meaning WhatsApp will not send message content to external servers for analysis. This keeps the feature compatible with end-to-end encryption.
WhatsApp already uses on-device processing for voice message transcripts. The feature converts voice messages into text on the recipient’s phone, and the transcript remains visible only to the recipient.
The official WhatsApp blog also states that voice message transcripts are generated on the device, so no one else, including WhatsApp, can hear or read the user’s personal messages.
Users can enable voice message transcripts from Settings > Chats > Voice message transcripts, select a transcript language, and long-press a voice message to generate the text version.
Scam Alert will review incoming messages from unknown contacts on the user’s device and show a warning inside the chat if a message appears to be a potential scam.
The warning will say, “This may be a scam,” and will also show that the suspicious message came from an unknown contact.
WhatsApp will give users two options when the warning appears: block and report the contact, or trust the chat and continue the conversation. The feature will not automatically stop users from talking to unknown contacts.
Scam Alert will run silently in the background, and other users will not be able to see that someone has enabled it.
Since the analysis happens locally, WhatsApp will not read messages to detect possible scams. The company has not shared full technical details about how the feature will work.
WhatsApp is also working on an on-device transparency report for Scam Alert activity. The report will show how and when the feature was activated, but the logs will stay on the user’s phone and will not be shared with WhatsApp.
If no suspicious messages are detected during a selected period, the report will show that there was no Scam Alert activity. If the feature detects potential scam activity, the report will include those local details.
Scam Alert will be optional and disabled by default. Users who want the protection will need to turn it on manually from WhatsApp settings.
Once enabled, the feature will automatically warn users when a message from an unknown sender appears suspicious.
Scam Alert is not available to users or beta testers yet. WhatsApp has not announced an official release date.
The feature is expected to reach beta testers in a future Android update before rolling out more widely in the stable version.
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