Overview
- German outlets cite WABetaInfo and technical reporting that WhatsApp builds link previews via a GET request from the sender’s phone, transmitting the sender’s IP address along with app and operating system details to the webpage.
- Link previews are enabled by default, but users can disable them in Settings > Privacy > Advanced by selecting “Disable link previews,” a toggle now available on Android and iOS and retained once set.
- Disabling the feature stops your device from fetching preview data when you share links, while received messages can still display previews generated by others.
- End-to-end encryption still protects chat content, yet it does not prevent metadata exposure from these client-initiated preview requests.
- Reports contrast WhatsApp’s approach with services like Slack and Facebook that proxy preview requests to hide user IPs, and note earlier research by Ross McKillop showing similar risks in iMessage in 2016.