Venmo finally takes privacy seriously

"Venmo is starting to test a big redesign of its app, and as part of the changes, it will be implementing a major new privacy measure: the onboarding process for new users will set their posts to only be viewable by their friends by default instead of being public."

"As part of the redesign, if you're a new user and you do want your posts to be public (or private just to you), you'll be able to set that as part of the new onboarding flow. You can also change your preference in settings after the fact; an updated screen for sending money will also show if that post is private, visible just to friends, or is visible publicly before you make the transaction."

"The changes are in service of getting users "more visibility and control over what they share because for us it's critical that they actually have trust in the Venmo experience," Alexis Sowa, the SVP and GM of Venmo, tells The Verge."

"Venmo's redesign is going to roll out in stages, starting first with a new look for the feed that will roll out gradually on iOS and Android over the coming weeks. Down the line, Venmo will introduce three new "surfaces" in the app: Send, where you can see your closest friends and find features like groups, gifting and scheduled payments; Money, where you can manage things like crypto and link Venmo to apps and websites; and Rewards, where you can find offers and track cash back from Venmo's rewards program."

Venmo is testing a redesigned app that adds a privacy-first onboarding default. New users will have their posts viewable only by friends instead of being public. Users can choose public visibility or private-to-self during onboarding, and they can change the preference later in settings. The money-sending flow will also indicate whether a post is private, visible to friends, or public before the transaction is completed. The change aims to increase visibility and control so users can trust the Venmo experience. The redesign will roll out in stages, beginning with a new feed look on iOS and Android, followed by new app surfaces for Send, Money, and Rewards.

Read at The Verge