Tag Archives: WhatsApp Beta

Mobile, News

New Features Coming to WhatsApp Soon Including an iPad App & Self-Destructing Voice Notes

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WhatsApp is continually evolving with many new features being added to the popular messaging app. Last year, the team behind WhatsApp introduced features that let users migrate their data between Android and iOS. Just recently, users were able to use the same account on more than one device. Now, WhatsApp is adding a feature that a lot of people have asked for the ability to use more than one account on the same device and a new iPad version of the app.

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Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, recently teased that soon, users will be able to use more than one WhatsApp account on the same Android phone. This function has been in the works and has been in testing since August 2023. This is good news for people who have more than one number and use WhatsApp. The feature will soon be available on Android devices but it’s uncertain if it will be making its way to iOS.

In addition to that update, WhatsApp is adding a few more usability tweaks. The first is a new menu that allows users to switch between voice and video messages. The added step is meant to prevent users from switching between modes by mistake. In WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.23.22.5, you can get this new tool. Currently, this function is only available for Beta users but will be rolled out soon publicly.

whatsapp self destructing audio messages

WhatsApp is also introducing a feature that will allow users to send voice messages that self-destruct. Just like the “View Once” tool for pictures and videos, this function lets audio messages delete themselves after the recipient opens them. With this feature, users will not be able to record or download the audio notes that disappear after a certain amount of time. Like the previous update, the function is only available on the Beta version of testing at the moment.

It looks like WhatsApp is finally coming to the iPad. The iPad app was initially teased by Will Cathcart, Head of WhatsApp at Meta, last year. It looks like it’s coming really soon. The app is optimized for iPad devices and looks nearly identical to the desktop version. As of now it’s only in the beta stage of testing and many features are not fully functional. There is also no sign or indication of when it will be released to general users.

WA AVATAR CALLING FEATURE PRESENTATION ANDROID

Besides that, WhatsApp may also be bringing its take on memojis soon. In the WhatsApp beta for Android (V2.23.19.14), users are able to create and use their personalized avatars in video calls making it more fun and interactive for users. Finally, in the latest update for WhatsApp beta for Android,  V2.23.19.16, group calls have been expanded to allow up to 31 participants at a time.

While these features are compelling, it’s worth noting that all of them remain in Beta with no clear timeline for when they will make it to the app itself. Do stay tuned as we keep a lookout for the features to hit the official release.

Android, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

You Can Soon Text People Not on WhatsApp Via WhatsApp in the Future

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The digital age of smartphones and apps gave birth to plenty of alternatives for communication methods. We are not really talking about the evolution of 3G to 4G to the current 5G, or whatever that it will evolve into the future. We are talking about going back to messenger apps that sort of lost their appeal when mobile phones became a thing in the Windows XP era. Thanks to the large uptake of an app ecosystem like Apple’s App Store, WhatsApp became a big phenomenon, even bigger than the BlackBerry Messenger. Even with BlackBerry bringing their Messenger app, the rise of apps like Signal, and even Telegram, WhatsApp remains the most popular alternative messenger app you use on your smartphone. There is a good reason for that.

WhatApp, while starting out as a rather simple messenger app for the masses and bridging the gap between Apple iOS and Google Android users, has progressed to become something beyond a simple messenger. The look has not changed all that much to be fair, but the number of features that is packed into the app makes it one of the most complete messenger apps you have out there. One of biggest or most significant updates, at least in our opinions, is the introduction of Communities into the platform. They are not stopping there though.

WA THIRD PARTY CHATS SUPPORT EU REGULATION DMA ANDROID scaled
Source: WA Beta Info

According to the most reliable WhatsApp leak sources, WA Beta Info, WhatsApp is now working on bringing third-party messaging into the platform. This will be in accordance with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations that obligate tech companies to offer a more global communication tool that allows users from different platforms to communicate with each other. That also means that you might be able to start texting your friend on Telegram or WeChat without having to download those apps or have any account on the apps and vice versa.

While it has appeared as a Beta feature on WhatsApp Beta version 2.23.19.8 for Android, it does not mean that we will see the feature coming as a fully developed feature anytime soon. There are plenty of things to work on when it comes to third-party app messaging abilities. For one, end-to-end encryption between different apps works rather differently from one another. While a previous interview tells us that the encryption protocol between Signal and WhatsApp is rather similar, there are no guarantees that both apps can communicate with each other without hiccups. There is also a problem of the different programming languages and architecture on the platforms for seamless transition and communication between each of the programs. You also want to keep in mind that not all the features that come out in the Beta version of WhatsApp will be released as a full feature for WhatsApp in the future.

This Beta feature is a little different though. It is developed in compliance with a sanctioned regulation. That also means that we will most likely see the feature being baked into WhatsApp and other messenger apps like Telegram and even Signal. It is just a matter of time.