WhatsApp has closed the loophole that allowed users to check whether someone had blocked them through the app’s encryption-verification feature.
Last week, we reported that automatic encryption verification could provide a stronger indication of a block without requiring users to call or message the contact. That method no longer works.
Previously, users could open a contact’s information page, select Encryption, and wait for WhatsApp to complete the automatic verification.
If the contact had blocked them, the verification often failed and asked the user to compare the security code manually.
The repeated failure served as a strong indication that the contact had blocked the user, although WhatsApp never officially supported the method.
Automatic verification now completes successfully even when the contact has blocked the user.
WhatsApp no longer displays an error or manual verification prompt based on blocking status.
WhatsApp introduced the change through a server-side update.
There is no related update available through Google Play or Apple’s App Store.
The same app version that previously failed to verify encryption in blocked chats now completes the process successfully.
The fix is available to WhatsApp users on Android and iOS, regardless of the app version installed.
The earlier behaviour did not mean that blocking disabled end-to-end encryption.
Manual verification remained available, and the conversation stayed encrypted.
The issue affected only the automatic verification process, which failed when one person had blocked the other.
WhatsApp has now corrected that behaviour without changing how messages are encrypted.
Users can still look for the usual signs of a possible block. These include messages remaining on one grey check mark, calls failing to connect and the contact’s profile photo no longer appearing.
However, none of these signs confirms a block by itself. Privacy-setting changes, connection problems or a contact moving to another phone can produce similar results.
The encryption-verification method can no longer be used to determine whether someone has blocked a user.
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