These features are under development and should be available if you have the beta version of WhatsApp installed on your device. If not, they will come to your device sometime later.
1. React With Recently Used Emojis
- Testing on Android and iPhone
When you long-press a message, it shows a reaction tray with six default emojis. WhatsApp is expanding on this feature, allowing you to scroll through the reaction tray to access more emojis. This will also feature your recently used emojis, so you don’t have to search for them. This will make interactions more fun and engaging on the app. I know I’ll be making the most out of this feature.
2. Redesigned Typing Indicator
- Testing on Android and iPhone
WhatsApp’s “Typing…” indicator has become quite iconic among regular users of the app. However, it will be replaced with a more modern real-time typing indicator. Similar to what you may have seen in iMessage, Google Messages, or Facebook Messenger. I have had this feature for over a week, but my eyes still crawl up to check for the old-school indicator out of habit.
3. Manage Group Notifications
- Testing on Android
If you are part of a WhatsApp family group, chances are you might have muted it already to avoid the daily barrage of Good Morning messages. However, muting all notifications can lead you to miss out on some relevant messages.
This is why WhatsApp is adding an Activity option under Group Notification settings. From here, I can either choose to receive “All” messages or only those “Relevant to me”, like when someone mentions me or replies to my message.
4. Sync WhatsApp Contacts
- Testing on Android and iPhone
WhatsApp will soon let you save contacts in the app itself. You can sync contacts from linked devices, and you can choose whether you want to save them to your contacts or limit them to the app. Saved contacts will sync with your WhatsApp account, so you can restore them on any device.
5. Search On Web
- Testing on Android
WhatsApp has been fighting to curb fake information and scammers for years, and released several features to counter it. The company is now working on a new solution that lets you web search an image directly from the app using Google Lens’ reverse image searching feature. This will help people quickly find out the validity of an image, preventing them from falling for scams.
6. Meta AI Memory
- Testing on Android
WhatsApp previously added the option to choose LLM models for Meta AI, and now they are testing a Memory feature for the chatbot. This will let the AI store crucial information about the user, like food preferences, birthdate, choice of conversation style, and much more. This will help the AI offer answers that are tailored to the user and offer a level of personalization.
7. Add Music to Status Updates
- Testing on Android
This is a big one! WhatsApp is borrowing one of the most appealing aspects of Instagram stories. You can soon search and add music to your status updates directly on the app. This will make status updates far more engaging, and expressive, as you can add the right track to further highlight the emotions of your status. It is under development but should be released in the coming months.
8. Custom Sticker Packs
- Testing on Android
If you are that one friend who replies to every text with a sticker, then, WhatsApp is adding a way for you to organize them easily. The feature will let you create your own custom sticker pack where you can add your favorite or most used stickers, and even the ones received from others. This will help you find them easily when needed.
9. Get Link Info from Google
- Testing on Android
WhatsApp is adding another measure to prevent you from visiting malicious or phishing sites. It is called “Get link info from Google” and it will search for the link on Google before you open the link and visit the website. This will help you know whether the site itself is safe or not. To use it, you’ll have to long press on the link for the menu to pop up and then select “Get link info from Google”.
10. Status Updates in Widgets
- Testing on iPhone
WhatsApp is working on improving its widget for the iOS app. They will allow you to see status updates right from the widget without opening the app. This feature was previously available but was later removed due to redundancy. It is in the early stages of development, so it isn’t clear whether you can choose whose updates appear in the widget or the app does it for you. But it is still a neat addition for you to stay up to date with your close one’s status.
11. Manage Notifications from Third Party Apps
- Testing in Android
A new feature has popped up in beta, which shows that the app is working on an option to let you manage notifications from third-party apps. This means that cross-platform support is on its way to WhatsApp, and we should get it quite soon.
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