As part of a significant app redesign, Venmo will adjust default settings for new users to ensure that posts are only visible to friends by default.
Venmo is testing a substantial redesign of its app, introducing a crucial new privacy feature: the onboarding process for new users will set their posts to be viewable only by friends by default, instead of publicly.
This update addresses past privacy challenges faced by the platform. In 2021, BuzzFeed News located President Joe Biden’s Venmo account and those of his associates because Venmo had no option to keep user contacts private at the time. The platform remedied this shortly afterward.
During the redesign, new users who wish for their posts to be public or private can adjust this during onboarding. Users can also alter their preferences in settings at any time. An updated money-sending screen will display if a post is private, visible to friends, or public before confirming a transaction.
These changes aim to provide users with “more visibility and control over what they share,” as trust in the Venmo experience is critical, says Alexis Sowa, Venmo’s SVP and GM, to The Verge.
The redesign will be phased in, starting with a refreshed feed appearance gradually arriving on iOS and Android. Venmo plans to introduce three new app features: Send for viewing close friends and utilizing features like groups and scheduled payments; Money for managing crypto and linking Venmo to other apps and sites; and Rewards for discovering offers and tracking cash back from Venmo’s rewards program.
Clarification on the introduction stage for the new onboarding process has been requested from Venmo, with updates to follow upon response.
According to Sowa, much of the redesign is about preparing Venmo for the future. While noted for splitting bills after shared experiences, Venmo is eager to expand its role, addressing consumer needs related to sending, spending, saving, borrowing, and investing money, envisioning a more significant role in these consumer areas.