Finally, Venmo takes privacy seriously

Venmo has begun testing a major redesign of its app, and as part of the changes, it will implement a major new privacy measure: The onboarding process for new users will set their posts to be viewable only by their friends by default instead of public.

It’s a notable update for a platform that has struggled with privacy in the past. In 2021, BuzzFeed News Track it President Joe Biden’s Venmo account And the accounts of people in his inner circle because Venmo, at the time, didn’t have a way to keep your Venmo contacts private. This was fixed shortly after.

As part of the redesign, if you’re a new user and want your posts to be public (or private just for you), you’ll be able to set that as part of the new setup process. You can also change your preferences in Settings after the fact; An updated Send Money screen will also appear if the post was private, visible only to friends, or visible to the public before the transaction was made.

The changes are intended to give users “more visibility and control over what they share because it’s important to us that they have real confidence in the Venmo experience,” says Alexis Sowa, senior vice president and general manager of Venmo. Edge.

The Venmo redesign will be rolled out in phases, starting first with a new look for Feed that will gradually roll out to iOS and Android over the coming weeks. In the future, Venmo will offer three new “skins” in the app: Send, where you can see your closest friends and find features like groups, gifts, and scheduled payments; Money, where you can manage things like cryptocurrencies and connect Venmo to apps and websites; and Rewards, where you can find offers and track cash back From the Venmo Rewards Program.

We’ve asked Venmo to clarify what stage the new onboarding process will begin, and we’ll update this story when we hear back.

According to Sowa, a lot of the redesign is also about preparing Venmo for the future. Venmo is better known as “the place where you split the bill after a real shared experience has occurred,” she says. “Going forward, we’re really excited to embrace and address a broader range of consumer needs, whether that’s sending money, spending money, saving, borrowing, or investing. You can imagine a world where we play a more prominent role in all areas of a consumer’s life.”