Option to Control Third-Party App Call Log Integration in Phone App Recents

Privacy Control for Third-Party App Calls (like WhatsApp) in iOS Call History

Hi,

I'm writing to provide feedback regarding the integration of third-party application calls, specifically WhatsApp calls, into the native iOS Phone app's "Recents" call log.

Currently, all calls made or received through WhatsApp automatically appear in my iPhone's main call history ("Recents"). While I understand this integration might be intended for convenience, it raises privacy concerns for users like myself who prefer to keep communication logs from different apps separate (e.g., distinguishing work calls via WhatsApp from personal calls).

Crucially, there appears to be no user-facing setting within iOS to disable this specific call log integration for WhatsApp or other third-party apps that use this functionality. This lack of granular control feels inconsistent with Apple's focus on user privacy.

For context:

• Other secure messaging apps on iOS, such as Signal and Telegram, provide an explicit option within their settings to prevent their calls from appearing in the iOS Recents list. This demonstrates it's technically feasible and desired by some users.

• Google's Android operating system offers system-level permissions that allow users to control whether an app can access or write to the device's call log.

Request:

Could Apple please consider implementing a system-level privacy setting within iOS (perhaps under Settings > Privacy & Security > Call History, or within Settings > Phone) that allows users to enable or disable the integration of calls from individual third-party applications (like WhatsApp, Teams, Signal, etc.) into the native Phone app's "Recents" list?

Alternatively, could Apple encourage or require developers using the CallKit framework for call integration to provide an easily accessible in-app toggle for this feature, similar to what Signal and Telegram offer?

Providing users with direct control over whether third-party app calls appear in their main iPhone call log would significantly enhance user privacy and control over their data.

Thank you for considering this important feedback.

Kind regards,