WhatsApp is rolling out a warning screen on Android and iOS that appears before users open chats with unfamiliar phone numbers. Meta hopes that this new feature will help users avoid scammers.

WhatsApp chats warning screen (Source: WABetaInfo)

“WhatsApp now checks the phone number before someone tries to open a chat with it. If WhatsApp doesn’t see signs that the phone number entered by the user is already trusted, it shows a screen that asks them to confirm whether they actually trust this person,” WABetaInfo wrote.

The warning screen can show details such as the phone number’s country code, whether the number is stored in the user’s contacts, and whether the two users have groups in common.

Users can either continue to the chat or exit before opening the conversation, while the recipient remains unaware of the choice.

“If WhatsApp shows this warning, you should take a moment to actually read the details instead of starting the chat. A different country code is already a strong reason to stop and verify ,” WABetaInfo noted.

Users shoud be aware that this is not a foolproof system.

“If a scammer is already saved as a contact for some reason, this warning may not appear at all. In addition, not every unfamiliar number is a scam either. Someone you know might have simply switched to a new phone number for a completely normal reason,” WABetaInfo added.

According to Bitdefender, WhatsApp remains a popular target for scammers due to its large user base and phone number-based messaging system. Impersonation scams, fake job offers, cryptocurrency fraud, and phishing campaigns are among the threats commonly seen on the platform.