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About suspicious files
Android
iOS
Android
iOS
If you receive a file that can be opened, make sure you trust the sender before opening it. For some files you share or receive in a chat, you might receive an error message.
A notification might appear when a file is suspected to be malicious, or in a format not supported by WhatsApp. The notification will vary based on whether you’re the message sender or recipient:
Sender pop-up:
This file is in an unusual format that might indicate it is dangerous, corrupted, or otherwise not supported on WhatsApp. For security precautions, this file cannot be sent.
Recipient pop-up:
This file was sent in an unusual format that might indicate it is dangerous, corrupted, or otherwise not supported on WhatsApp. For security precautions, this file cannot be opened.
WhatsApp automatically performs checks to determine if a file is suspicious, to ensure that the format is supported on WhatsApp and doesn’t crash the app on your device. To protect your privacy, these checks take place entirely on your device, and because of end-to-end encryption, WhatsApp can’t see the content of your messages.
