Venmo is starting to test a major redesign of its app, and as part of the changes, it will implement a major new privacy initiative: The onboarding process for new users will make their posts visible only to their friends by default, rather than being public.

It’s a notable update for a platform that has struggled with privacy in the past. In 2021, BuzzFeed News Tracked President Joe Biden’s Venmo Account And the accounts of people in his inner circle because at the time Venmo had no way to keep your Venmo contacts private. He soon fixed it.

As part of the redesign, if you’re a new user and you 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 whether the post is private, visible only to friends, or publicly visible before you make the transaction.

The changes are meant to give users “more visibility and control over what they share because it’s so important to us that they actually trust the Venmo experience,” explains Alexis Sova, Venmo’s SVP and GM. the edge.

Venmo’s redesign is rolling out in phases, starting with a new look for the feed that will gradually roll out to 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, gifts 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 cashback. From Venmo’s Rewards Program.

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

Much of the redesign is also about setting Venmo up for the future, according to Sova. Venmo is known as “the place where you split the bill after a shared real-life experience,” she says. “Going forward we are really excited to embrace and serve a wider set of customer needs, whether it’s sending money, spending money, saving, borrowing, investing.