To prevent people from adding you to groups on WhatsApp, you need to access the privacy settings of the groups in the messenger and choose between the restriction options. The process can be done via mobile phone (Android or iPhone) or PC (WhatsApp Web and WhatsApp for macOS).
The privacy feature prevents unknown numbers, specific contacts, or everyone from automatically adding you to a group. Therefore, the restriction is valid to avoid joining spam groups or unwanted group chats.
Next, see how to limit or not allow people to add you to groups on WhatsApp.
How to Stop Being Added to WhatsApp Groups
1. Go to WhatsApp settings on your device
On Android, open the WhatsApp app, tap the three-dot menu (located in the top right corner) and go to “Settings”. The process to prevent people from adding you to groups on WhatsApp can also be done in a similar way on iPhone, WhatsApp Web and WhatsApp for macOS.
2. Access WhatsApp privacy settings
Tap on the “Privacy” section within the Meta messenger settings menu.
3. Enter the “Groups” section within the privacy menu
Go to “Groups” to limit or disallow people from adding you to groups on WhatsApp.
4. Define which people can add you to WhatsApp groups
Choose one of the options to define who can add you to groups. The three available choices are:
- Everyone: This setting allows anyone who has your number saved to add you to a group;
- My contacts: the option prevents you from being added to WhatsApp groups by people who are not saved in your contact list;
- My contacts, except: the setting prevents some specific contacts from adding you to groups, but marking all the numbers saved in the address book is a valid option to block them from adding you to WhatsApp groups.
What happens from now on?
The person who invites you to join a group must send a private invitation in a private chat, giving you the choice to join or not.
WhatsApp informs you that you will have three days to accept the invitation before it expires. The application did not inform, however, whether it would be possible to send invitations again after refusal or lack of response by the same person and to the same person.
If the option has not yet appeared for you in WhatsApp settings, wait. The application informs that the privacy feature begins to take effect for all users from launch and will be available to anyone who has the latest version.
Remembering that:
Only its administrators can add new members to a WhatsApp group. You can also send a private message to someone in a group.
That’s all on how to stop being added to a WhatsApp group without your permission.
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If you also have any questions please feel free to ask in the comment section below, I’ll reply to them as soon as possible.
Can I prevent anyone from adding me to groups without permission?
Yes. To prevent anyone (whether or not you are saved in your address book) from automatically adding you to groups, you need to access WhatsApp’s privacy settings, go to the “Groups” section, set the “My contacts, except…” option and mark all the contacts (via the three-line icon) that appear on the screen.
What happens if someone tries to add me to a WhatsApp group?
The person you restricted will receive a notification when they create a group on WhatsApp and try to add you. The message will inform you that the action is not possible and will display an option to invite you (via link) via private chat.
Once you receive the invite, you can either join the group or ignore the message.
Can I allow anyone to add me to WhatsApp groups again?
Yes, simply access WhatsApp’s privacy settings, go to the “Groups” section and choose the “Everyone” option. It is worth noting that you can resume limiting the number of people who can add you to groups on the messenger at any time by changing the setting.
WhatsApp will also show a screen, informing the name of the group, who is in the group (which is quite important in some cases) and a button to enter the timer from 72 hours to accept or not be part of the group. chat.
Cheers!!
