Written By Om Gupta
From Channels to Material You design, here are top ten feature coming to WhatsApp soon
WhatsApp is developing new features and updates to enhance its app. Some of these are inspired by existing features from competing apps and some are original. Here is a list of all the new features that are coming to WhatsApp.
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Channels
WhatsApp is working on improving channels with the Updates tab. It is a new one-to-many tool for broadcasting information from people you wish to get news from. (Image: WaBetaInfo)
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Screen sharing
WhatsApp is releasing a screen-sharing feature, along with a new placement for tabs within the bottom navigation bar, and it is available to some beta testers. During a video call, when you choose to share your screen, everything shown on your screen will be recorded and shared with the recipient. (Image: WaBetaInfo)
310
Status archive
WhatsApp is introducing a new feature called “Status Archive” as a new business tool, letting businesses share their previous status updates with their customers. The feature is currently being rolled out to beta testers of WhatsApp Business for Android and will become available to more users in the coming weeks. (Image: WaBetaInfo)
410
App language and message draft filter
WhatsApp is rolling out a new update for the Windows native app that will let users change the app language and a message draft filter. Users can use the app in a different language, making it more convenient for people who want to use the app other than their default language. In addition to this, users will be able to filter their chats by showing only the ones that have a message draft, making it easier for users to find and resume unfinished conversations. (Image: WaBetaInfo)
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510
Companion mode
WhatsApp is widely rolling out a feature to link an existing account to a second iOS smartphone. This feature will let users send and receive calls and messages across all their smartphones. With this feature, users can link up to four smartphones at the same time. (Image: WaBetaInfo)
610
Switch Material Design 3
WhatsApp is working on a new switch UI by following Material Design 3 guidelines. The switch has a light grey border and marks when it is off. When it is on, the border disappears, and the switch’s body is filled with WhatsApp’s green colour, while the mark becomes dark grey. The appearance could change slightly when the light mode is on. (Image: WaBetaInfo)
710
Discover channel
WhatsApp is working on a feature to discover new channels by using filters. There will be a new section that lets users search for specific channels. Users can enter a text to search for a channel by its name and this section gives users three filters to use when searching for channels to sort the results: recently added, popularity, and alphabetically. (Image: WaBetaInfo)
810
Group profile icons
WhatsApp is releasing a feature to add profile pictures to group chats. The profile picture is useful when group members have similar names or haven’t set a profile photo. WhatsApp will show a default empty profile photo with a colour that matches the corresponding contact name, to make identification easier. (Image: WaBetaInfo)
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Updates tab
WhatsApp is currently testing a new status section for iOS, which is now called “Updates”. In the new status section, muted status updates are now in a separate section called “Muted Status” and the shortcut to privacy settings has been moved to the same menu. There will be another shortcut to create status updates, and it’s located in the menu that appears when you tap the plus icon at the top of the screen. (Image: WaBetaInfo)
1010
Redesigned keyboard
WhatsApp is developing a new keyboard layout that has an emoji category bar. This feature will move the tabs that let users access other keyboard functions (such as GIF and sticker selection) upwards. (Image: WaBetaInfo)
