Originally published at: https://www.mobilitaria.com/how-to-stop-someone-from-adding-you-to-whatsapp-groups/
We’ve all been added to groups where we really didn’t want to be on WhatsApp by either a friend, a colleague at work or just a random person who happens to have our contact. There is a way to avoid all that here.
New group privacy settings are available for WhatsApp on both Android and iPhones and can be enabled to avoid being randomly added to groups without your permission on WhatsApp.
Before getting started, ensure you have the latest WhatsApp on your device. For Android, it is version 2.19.308 and for iPhone, it is 2.19.112. You can update by going to the respective WhatsApp pages on both the Google Play Store for Android and the App Store for iPhone.
How to stop someone from adding you to WhatsApp groups on Android:
- Open WhatsApp on your Android smartphone and tap the vertical three-dots icon on the top-right.
- Next, tap Settings > Account > Privacy.
- Then tap Groups and select one of the three given options — Everyone, My Contacts, or My Contacts Except….
- If you select Everyone, anyone can add you to groups.
- Selecting My Contacts only allows your contacts to add you to WhatsApp groups.
- Finally, the third option My Contacts Except lets you allow only selected people to add you to WhatsApp groups. You can either select contacts one by one or you can even select all contacts by tapping on the Select All icon on the top-right. These people will be prompted to send you the group invite through a private chat. You will then have three days to accept or deny the request for joining the group before it expires.
How to stop someone from adding you to WhatsApp groups on iPhone:
- Open WhatsApp on your iPhone and on the bottom bar, tap Settings.
- Next, tap Account > Privacy > Groups.
- On the next screen, select one of the three given options — Everyone, My Contacts and My Contacts Except. Over here as well you can select contacts one by one or you can just select all the contacts by tapping the Select All button on the bottom-right.
This all you need to do to avoid the stress of finding yourself in a group you don’t belong. Remember to ensure that the WhatsApp on your device is the latest version before applying the steps.