Is WhatsApp introducing a third blue check for screenshots? It’s just another hoax

News is circulating that a "third blue check" is coming to WhatsApp to signal when a user takes a screenshot of a conversation, but it's just fake news. No official confirmation has arrived from Meta

In recent days, there has been one piece of news circulating and generating interest among millions of WhatsApp users: the alleged inclusion of a “third blue check” to warn users whenever someone takes a screenshot of their conversation. But it is absolutely false and does not have any kind of official confirmation from WhatsApp or Meta, the company that owns the messaging platform.

This is not the first time this fake news has gone viral on the internet. In 2021 last year, the same rumor surfaced, which stated that WhatsApp was planning to introduce yet another indicator in chats to inform users about potential screenshots.

At the time, the news was immediately debunked by WABetaInfo, a niche site that closely tracks new features in WhatsApp’s beta release. Now the story is playing out in precisely the same way: a rumor gains traction on social media, is picked up by some news websites, and sows confusion among users.

How WhatsApp’s check marks really work

WhatsApp check mark system already exists and is not going to change anytime soon. Here is the brief overview of how it currently works:

• A single gray check mark indicates the message has been sent successfully.
• Two gray check marks indicate the message has been delivered to the recipient.
• Two blue check marks indicate the message has been read, unless read receipts have been disabled by the recipient.

WhatsApp’s actual privacy features

This fake news has gained traction for two reasons. Firstly, it is derived from something known and familiar—the check mark system—so it sounds credible to users. Secondly, some news websites have contributed to its spread without verifying their sources, which has compounded the confusion.

Though WhatsApp has not introduced any feature to notify users when a person takes a screenshot in chats, it has introduced some privacy-enhancing features. For instance, the application already does not permit users to capture screenshots of profile pictures. WhatsApp has also introduced a feature that allows users to send “view-once” images and videos, which cannot be saved or captured via screenshots.

In short, there is nothing to worry about WhatsApp notifying others when you take a screenshot of a conversation. This is another baseless hoax that circulates every couple of years.