Control Your Privacy Series. How to Block Spammy Group Invites and Silence Unwanted Calls on WhatsApp

Spam WhatsApp group invites and calls from unknown numbers are often the first step in phishing, investment scams, impersonation attacks, and malware campaigns. Scammers add users to fake crypto groups, “job opportunities,” investment communities, or giveaway chats to build trust before sharing malicious links or requesting money. Fortunately, WhatsApp includes privacy settings that let you control who can add you to groups and automatically silence calls from unknown numbers, making it much harder for scammers to reach you in the first place.

Key takeaways

• WhatsApp spam groups are commonly used to spread phishing links, fake investment schemes, cryptocurrency scams, malware, and other fraud.
• You can stop most unwanted group invites by changing Privacy > Groups and limiting who can add you to chats.
• Enable Silence unknown callers to reduce spam calls without blocking legitimate contacts, as unknown calls still appear in your call history.
• Never click links or trust investment, job, or giveaway offers shared in unknown WhatsApp groups. If you’re unsure whether a message or invitation is legitimate, check it with Bitdefender Scamio before responding.

Are you tired of being added to random WhatsApp groups without your permission? Spammy group invites can be a hassle, but there's an easy way to prevent them by adjusting your WhatsApp settings.

Also, if you've been receiving calls from unknown numbers, often at odd times and from other countries, WhatsApp has a feature to help. You can now automatically silence all calls from numbers that aren't in your contacts. These calls won't disturb you, but you'll still see a notification and the call will be logged in your history.

How to Manage WhatsApp Group Invitations

The instructions below are for WhatsApp on iOS, but Android users can follow similar steps with slight differences.

1. Open WhatsApp and head to Settings. On Android, you'll find this under the three vertical dots in the top right corner.
2. In the Settings menu, select Privacy.
3. Tap Groups to access the settings for who can add you to a group.
4. By default, this is set to "Everyone," meaning anyone who has your number can add you to a group. You have three other options to limit this:

• My Contacts: Only people saved in your contacts can add you to groups. Others will need to send a private invitation for you to accept or decline within 72 hours.
• My Contacts Except: You can choose this option to exclude specific contacts from adding you to groups.
• Nobody: This gives you the most control. You'll have to approve all group invitations before being added. For Android users (and some iOS users), if this option isn't available, you can choose "My Contacts Except" and select all contacts to block group invites entirely.

Once set, you'll still receive group invites via direct messages, but now you'll have the power to decide whether or not to join. These invites expire after 72 hours if you don't accept them.

Note: Group privacy settings can only be updated from the mobile app. However, once adjusted, these settings will apply to both WhatsApp Web and Desktop.

How to Silence Spam Calls on WhatsApp

1. Make sure your WhatsApp app is up to date.
2. Go to Settings > Privacy > Calls.
3. Turn on the option to Silence unknown callers.

Related: Control your privacy: Use 'Secret Codes' to make your conversations more private on WhatsApp.

More Tips for Avoiding Unwanted Groups on WhatsApp

While WhatsApp makes it easy to connect, a few simple precautions can help you avoid spam:

1. Don't share your phone number online. Spammers can easily collect numbers from public profiles on social media.
2. Avoid clicking on suspicious links or messages from unknown senders.
3. Be cautious of messages with urgent requests, especially from unknown contacts.

Related: How scammers gain access and hack your WhatsApp account and what you can do to protect yourself.

4. If you're added to a spam group by mistake, you can leave it and report it. Simply go to the group info, select Report Group, then Exit Group.

1. Use WhatsApp's Privacy Checkup feature to review and adjust your privacy settings.

Related: The 7 most common WhatsApp scams and how to avoid them.

While you're here, take a moment to see how Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection can help reduce your digital footprint and protect your data in the event of breaches. By continuously monitoring your personal information, it alerts you if your data appears on the Dark Web and assesses your risk of identity theft. You'll instantly be informed about your status and receive clear steps on how to protect yourself.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

How to block group chat invites?

On WhatsApp, go to Settings > Privacy > Groups and choose who can add you to groups. Select My Contacts to allow only saved contacts, or My Contacts Except… to exclude specific people. Anyone who cannot add you directly may still send a private group invitation, which you can ignore. WhatsApp confirms that its group privacy settings let users control who can add them to groups.

Why do I keep getting invited to random group chats?

You may keep getting random group invitations because your phone number was exposed in a data breach, posted publicly, shared through a contact list, or added to bulk messaging databases. Scammers also use automated tools to add large numbers of people to fake investment, crypto, job, giveaway, or shopping groups. Restrict who can add you through WhatsApp’s group privacy settings, leave and report suspicious groups, and avoid engaging with unknown members.

How do I disable a group invite?

WhatsApp does not offer a setting that blocks every possible group invitation, but you can stop most people from adding you directly. Go to Settings > Privacy > Groups, then select My Contacts or My Contacts Except…. If someone sends you a private invitation, simply decline or ignore it. If you have already been added to a suspicious group, open the group details and choose Report group, then exit and delete the chat.

How to stop group spam texts?

To stop group spam texts on WhatsApp, leave and report suspicious groups, block the sender who added you, and restrict group additions under Settings > Privacy > Groups. You can also mute noisy groups and, where available, enable Block unknown account messages under Settings > Privacy > Advanced to limit high volumes of messages from unknown accounts. Never click links, download files, or respond to offers in unsolicited groups. Bitdefender Scamio can help check suspicious group messages, links, or screenshots before you interact with them.