➤ What happens if I report someone on WhatsApp 🎮

What happens if I report someone on WhatsApp. There are several ways to filter conversations with people on WhatsApp. If someone keeps posting a lot of offensive, hateful, or obscene content that you don't feel comfortable with, WhatsApp lets you block or report it. You can even do both. We have an exhibition guide on how to block people on WhatsApp and what happens next. In this post, we will talk about what happens if I report someone on WhatsApp

What happens if I report someone on WhatsApp

The reporting feature was introduced about five years ago to help WhatsApp identify people who use the instant messaging platform to spread spam and malicious content. Rumors, fake news, misleading messages, etc. They are examples of content that WhatsApp classifies as spam. If you are constantly getting any of these from someone on WhatsApp, you should report them. And if the spam content is distributed in a group chat, you can report the group as well.

In the following section, we share with you what happens when you report someone or a group on WhatsApp.

1. Reporting someone

When you want to report someone on WhatsApp, you are presented with two options: “Report” and “Report and block”. We will explain how both options work and their side effects in the following sections.

As soon as you press the "Report" or "Report & Block" button, recent interactions with the reported number will be sent to WhatsApp for investigative purposes. Let's move on to answering some common questions you may have about what's going to happen next.

2. A reported number may still send you texts

Well, that totally depends on the selection you made when you reported the contact. If you choose the “Report and block” option, that person will not be able to send you new messages. On the other hand, if you select the “Report” option when reporting the contact, that person can still bombard your inbox with texts, multimedia files or voice notes.

Whichever option you choose, WhatsApp will record the report you sent and add the number to a "Watch List" where the person's activities will be closely monitored. In addition, an investigation of the person's activities on the platform will be conducted and they may be banned from using WhatsApp.

3. How long does WhatsApp take to block a reported number

At this point, no one really knows. As mentioned above, WhatsApp will launch an investigation on the reported contacts. If WhatsApp finds reasons to believe that account activities truly violate WhatsApp's Terms of Service, the number may be (temporarily or permanently) banned from using WhatsApp.

4. A reported number can call you

Again, this depends on the options chosen when the number was reported. If you select "Report and block" a user, WhatsApp will not send you calls. Every time someone who has "signaled and blocked" calls you, the call will ring endlessly but you will not receive the call or you will receive a notification.

On the other hand, reporting someone without blocking them still allows them to reach you via voice or video calls, even after the report has been sent / sent to WhatsApp.

5. What happens to previous chats / messages

When you report someone to WhatsApp, previous conversations with the reported contact will continue to appear on your phone. However, if you choose the “Report and Block” option, your chats with the person will be completely deleted.

6. Reporting a group

Reporting a group is also very similar to reporting an individual. So, when you want to report a group, WhatsApp presents you with the same two options: “Report” and “Report and exit”.

When you choose "Report and Exit", you leave the group and a complaint will be sent to WhatsApp about the group's activities at the same time. This means that you will no longer be a participant / member of the group. As a result, the group (and group messages) will also be deleted from the phone.

On the other hand, choosing 'Report' only a group without leaving does not change your status in the group. The report will be sent to WhatsApp on the group's activity but you will still remain an active member. Everything will look quite normal. What happens then to a Whatsapp group that you have reported?

7. The group will be monitored

This is similar to reporting an individual. When WhatsApp receives a report on a group's potentially disturbing activities, the reported group will be placed under close scrutiny. WhatsApp may not necessarily take any action against the group immediately. The group may continue to exist and remain functional even after reporting it.

8. The group may be disabled

So what happens to a group that spreads disinformation and other spam messages? Is the reporting to the group effective? Well, only when multiple members or attendees report the group as spam. If WhatsApp detects a spamming group after receiving numerous reports, the company will likely deactivate the group.

9. What happens to group members

Nothing happens to the group members. They will not be banned and no punishment / sanction will be imposed on them. All members of a deactivated group will no longer be able to send or receive messages in the reported group.

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