While this new exciting feature is still under development, and not ready for beta testers, WABetaInfo reports that this new future update will introduce a music button within the drawing editor that appears after selecting a photo or a video for the status update. Just like it’s done on other Meta-owned platforms including Facebook and Instagram, users will then be able to search for songs or specific artists by tapping this button, which will make it easier for them to find and add their favorite music directly to their status updates.

“Once a song is selected, it will be automatically integrated into the status update, allowing users to personalize their photos or videos with music.”  wrote the WhatsApp tracker. “This enhancement will likely make status updates more engaging and expressive, as users can set the mood or add context to their shared content using music.”

Meanwhile, the instant messaging service is also working on several other features including the ability to create and share entire custom sticker packs. This update will enable users to organize their stickers more efficiently by categorizing them into distinct packs directly within the application, without the need to involve third-party apps. You will also be able to personalize your collections, modify packs, and share them easily with your contacts.

WhatsApp is always working on several features to enhance user experience on the app but it should however be noted that not all of them make it to the public release. Some of the features that made it include a ‘Favorites’ Feature to Filter Chats, and a Self-Destruct Audio Message Feature, among others.

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According to the social platform, users will now be able to save contacts to the app itself and manage them via the desktop version of the app, in addition to the mobile interface.

“Until now, the only place you were able to add contacts was from your mobile device, by either typing in a phone number or scanning a QR code. WhatsApp wrote in the blog post. “Soon, you’ll be able to add and manage contacts from the comfort of your keyboard on WhatsApp Web and Windows – and eventually other linked devices.”

WhatsApp has traditionally relied on users’ phone address books to hold and manage contacts, however, this meant that users couldn’t recover their contacts in case they lost their devices. This new development will however address this by making it possible to restore WhatsApp contacts from cloud storage. The company also adds that the feature will additionally be useful “For when you are sharing your phone with others or if you want to separate personal and business contacts when managing more than one WhatsApp account on your phone.”

The social messaging app added that the contact storing feature update will also make it possible for users to finally be able to manage and save contacts by usernames. “Usernames on WhatsApp will add an extra degree of privacy so that you don’t need to share your phone number when messaging someone,” WhatsApp said in the blog post.

This is the first time WhatsApp has publically mentioned the use of usernames, a feature that has been in development since last year according to a May 2023 report by WABetaInfo.

Additionally, Meta has acknowledged the privacy trade-offs that come with storing your information remotely, and to address this, the company has developed a more advanced encryption system to store and share relevant data called Identity Proof Linked Storage (IPLS).

“Contact names are stored encrypted within WhatsApp, and we’ve built this with additional, robust protections by using IPLS to deter access to contacts to anyone except the user.” writes Meta.

Meta further explains that IPLS incorporates new privacy technology that protects users’ contact lists in a privacy-preserving fashion, adding, “To further ensure the safety and security of this system, we’ve partnered with Cloudflare to provide independent third-party auditing of its cryptographic properties.” According to the company, the new technology stack was reviewed by external researchers and NCC Group Cryptography Services, an independent cybersecurity consultancy.

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“We think this feature will be great for people who have reason to share their phones from time to time with a family member or those moments where someone else is holding your phone at the exact moment an extra special chat arrives,” WhatsApp said in a blog post.

When a user locks a chat, something which can be done by tapping the name of a one-to-one or group and selecting the lock option, the app will take it out of their inbox placing it behind its own folder that can only be accessed with either the phone’s password or biometric authentication, such as a fingerprint. This feature also automatically hides the contents of that chat in notifications.

In order to reveal locked chats, a user will have to slowly pull down on their inbox and put in the password or biometric.

The messaging platform says it plans to add more options for this new feature, including locks for companion devices and creating a custom password for chats such that users are able to use a different password from the one they use to unlock their devices. These updates are expected to be rolled out in the coming months.

WhatsApp is continuously working on enhancing the user experience by introducing new features on the social network. The company was recently said to be testing another feature that will autoplay GIFs within the app in addition to working on other exciting developments for future updates of the platform such as a self-destruct audio message feature.

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Since GIFs are a great way to express emotions and convey messages in a more fun and creative way than plain text, this new functionality is expected to be a game-changer in the way users interact on the platform. The new update which is currently available to only a few select beta testers can be found in the latest version of WhatsApp beta update for most devices on Android and iOS.

According to WABetaInfo, with this feature, WhatsApp will animate the GIF only once. After the playback ends, a user will then be required to tap the media file for it to play again.

“At the end of the animation, you will need to tap on the GIF to play it again: the automatic playback is limited to the first time the GIF is displayed in the conversation to avoid constant distractions,” WABetaInfo said in a blog post.

It should be noted that while WhatsApp currently supports GIF sharing — a feature that was rolled out to the social platform in December 2020, when a user receives a GIF they have to tap it for it to be played. However, this will change once auto-playing GIFs are implemented on WhatsApp.

Autoplaying GIFs is not a new concept as it has been available on several social media platforms including Telegram and Twitter, among other social networks for quite some time but it’s yet to be officially rolled out to WhatsApp.

While we don’t know when the feature will be officially released, it is expected to be rolled out in the coming months and we will update you once it makes it to the stable version of the app.

Meanwhile, WhatsApp is still working on other exciting developments for the future updates of the app and these include a self-destruct audio message feature, self-destruct group chats, a newsletter feature, and testing the ability for iOS users to edit sent messages among other features.

ALSO READ: WHATSAPP NOW ALLOWS ANDROID USERS TO USE THE SAME ACCOUNT ON MULTIPLE DEVICES

The post WhatsApp is Testing a GIF Autoplay Feature For a Future Update appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

Although the companion mode has been released for all beta testers, some features may still not be available, such as the ability to manage broadcast lists and post a status update from the linked device, according to WABetaInfo.

The feature is an extension of multi-device support and has been designed to allow users to link their existing WhatsApp account to another mobile phone. After linking an existing WhatsApp account to a secondary mobile phone, users can access their chats on the second device without requiring an active internet connection on the main phone.

The second phone has to be Android as the companion mode feature is not currently available on WhatsApp for iOS. However, iPhone users can link a second Android phone as the feature is available on Android.

To link a secondary device, download the latest WhatsApp Beta from the Google Play Store and select “Link a device” on the registration screen from the overflow menu. Head to your primary device, open WhatsApp, and tap Settings >> Linked Devices >> snap a photo of the QR code on your secondary phone to connect them.

After linking your WhatsApp account to the secondary phone, all your chat history will be synced across all your linked devices

Meanwhile, only four devices can be linked to your WhatsApp account.

Additionally, no matter whether you’re using the messaging app from a linked mobile phone, your personal messages and calls will also be supported by end-to-end encryption.

The Companion Mode is among the new features that the Meta-owned social messaging platform is working on. Among the features the company is working on include tweaking the Android UI with a bottom navigation bar, self-destruct audio messages, and newsletters, among others.

The updates will be rolled out to users once they are stable.

The post WhatsApp Rolls Out its ‘Companion Mode’ to All Beta Users appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

As for the bottom navigation bar, WhatsApp users have been requesting a redesign of the WhatsApp interface for some time, as they felt that the current interface is outdated and not as user-friendly as it could be after the recent updates of Android.

The bottom navigation bar under development as seen in the beta test as well as shared screenshots by WABetaInfo is similar to that of iOS’s version however this comprises four options including Chats, Communities, Status, and Calls.

The bottom navigation bar is expected to make it easier for users to navigate between the different sections of the app as they would be easily accessible from the bottom of the screen.

While this update could be welcomed by many, some seem not to like it at all. WABetaInfo reported that although the bottom navigation bar is good news, they have noticed that some users would like the new interface to be optional, so that it can be activated in the app settings, and that would still be possible to switch between sections through a gesture.

The feature is still being rolled out through the Google Play Beta Program as part of version 2.23.8.4 and once stabilized it will be available in the future update of the messaging platform.

Meanwhile, WhatsApp is also currently working on another update that will give users the ability to lock chats. The feature will enable users to lock specific chats with a passcode or a fingerprint giving them an extra level of privacy.

When a user locks a chat, it is listed within the “Locked chats” section, and its entry point will be located within the chat list.

This update also supports media privacy since any media files, such as photos and videos, shared in a locked chat are not automatically saved to the other person’s device.

All these WhatsApp features are currently under development and will be made available in future updates of the app. While we don’t know the specific date they will be rolled out, we will update you once they are officially out.

The post WhatsApp is Tweaking its Android UI With a Bottom Navigation Bar appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

In case you’re one of the people who prefer audio over text messages then you’re in luck. According to WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is working on a feature that will enable users to send audio messages that disappear immediately after being played once.

Similar to view-once images and videos it introduced in 2021, audio messages sent in the “play once” mode can’t be saved, forwarded, or recorded, for added privacy. This will come in handy for people who will use this feature to share sensitive information that they don’t wish to be re-shared.

This feature is currently under development through the Google Play Beta Program and is expected to be available in future updates of the app.

Besides the disappearing audio messages, the Meta-owned social messaging is reportedly working on a future update of the app currently under development is the ability to send short-video messages. This feature will enable users to record and send short videos of up to 60 seconds to their contacts. WABetaInfo reports that these video messages will be end-to-end encrypted, ensuring that only the audience users share the video messages with can watch them.

Additionally, the ability to save or forward video messages to other conversations won’t be enabled for added privacy. However, screenshots are still allowed.

Meanwhile, the instant messaging service is also working on several other features including the recently reported “Expiring Groups,” through the latest TestFlight beta update for WhatsApp on iPhone (v2.23.5.71). The feature will give users the ability to set an expiration date for their groups and once the expiration date is reached, it will dissolve it.

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The meta-owned instant messaging platform is reportedly working on a new feature called “Expiring Groups,” through the latest TestFlight beta update for WhatsApp on iPhone (v2.23.5.71) according to WaBetaInfo. The feature will give users the ability to set an expiration date for their groups and once the expiration date is reached, the feature dissolves the group thus helping users maintain a clutter-free messaging experience.

While WhatsApp already has several self-destructing messaging options, including disappearing messages and view-once media, the expiring group feature which is currently under development will be a great addition to the platform.

The feature will give users the option to self-destruct the group in a day, a week, or on a custom expiration date and an option to remove the predetermined expiration date is also provided. However, the group will not disappear entirely, but participants will be “prompted to clean up groups on the expiration date.” Although it’s currently unclear what that means and exactly how Expiring Groups will work.

This feature will be useful in situations such as event organization or group travel plans, where users may need to create temporary groups for a specific purpose.

At the moment of this reporting, the expiring groups’ feature is only available for testing on iOS through the TestFlight beta update. It is unclear when the feature will be available on Android, but it is expected to be rolled out soon.

The post WhatsApp is Working on Self-Destruct Group Chats appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

With this feature, users will be able to correct errors or make other changes to the messages that they have sent. A similar feature is seen on Telegram —and unlike Telegram, which gives you up to a 48-hour window (2-days) to edit the message, WhatsApp will only offer a 15-minute editing window, which is the same as the duration offered by Apple’s iMessage.

All edited messages will be marked with the “Edited” label within the chat bubble. In addition, WhatsApp will offer users up to 15 minutes to edit their text messages after they’ve been sent. According to WABetaInfo, a platform that tracks WhatsApp updates, since this is the first version of editing messages, it will only be possible to edit text messages NOT captions for images, videos, and documents. However, it is reported that we can expect an improved version of the feature before the release.

Among the other features, the messaging platform is currently working on a Private Newsletter. “To be honest, we cannot say for sure that it is really called “Newsletter” as it seems a codename at the moment, but we can temporarily call it that way,” said WABetaInfo. “Newsletters will be a one-to-many tool for broadcasting information and they look like a new way to easily receive useful updates from people and groups like local officials, sports teams, or other organizations.”

WABetaInfo further notes that the Newsletters are not protected from end-to-end encryption, however, the phone numbers of users who create and subscribe to a newsletter will be masked and hidden, in order to prevent the disclosure of their identity.

Newsletters will be available as a separate and optional section within the Status Tab, separate from private chats, and will have no effect on the end-to-end encryption of private messaging and calls.

WhatsApp is also rolling out a new update that allows users to easily navigate the app’s settings by using a search bar to look for specific settings within the app settings section, instead of having to manually scroll through the list.

This feature is currently available to a limited number of beta testers who have the latest version of the app and is expected to be released to a wider audience in the near future. With the introduction of this feature, users will be able to navigate through the app settings with greater ease and efficiency.

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