In a move aimed at improving user control over conversations, WhatsApp is developing an anti-spoiler feature for text messages.

The upcoming tool will allow users to hide sensitive or revealing content so it isn’t immediately visible to recipients.

The feature was first reported by WABetaInfo, which tracks upcoming updates in WhatsApp’s beta versions.

According to the report, the latest TestFlight build of WhatsApp contains references to a new “Spoiler” formatting option. However, the feature is still under development and is not yet available for beta testers.

How spoiler feature will work

Once introduced, the Spoiler option is expected to appear alongside existing formatting tools such as Bold, Italic, and Strikethrough.

When a user marks text as a spoiler, the selected words will be covered with a gray bar. Recipients will need to tap the covered text to reveal its content.

Double pipes syntax support

The feature will also support a shortcut method. Users can manually type double pipes before and after a message — for example:
||hidden text||

This means users won’t always need to open the formatting pop-up to hide content, making the feature quicker and more convenient.

Limited to text for now

According to WABetaInfo, the spoiler feature is currently being developed only for text messages.

There is no confirmation yet on whether it will be extended to other message types, such as images or media files.

As with many features discovered in beta builds, there is no official timeline for a public rollout.

However, reports suggest that the feature is also being tested in WhatsApp’s Android beta version, indicating that users may not have to wait long before it becomes widely available.