WhatsApp has put out a slew of new features and modifications to the beta versions of its Android and iOS apps to kick off the new year.
WABetaInfo, a site noted for its extensive reporting on WhatsApp features that are either in beta or still under development, summarized the new features from the past week.
The addition of profile images for WhatsApp message alerts is the first notable change in iOS 15.
Users of WhatsApp iOS beta version 2.22.1.1 will now be able to see the profile photo of the person who sent them a message within the notification on their home screen.
WhatsApp has enabled the feature, adding support through a new API available on iOS 15.
The image below shows an example of WhatsApp notifications on the latest iOS beta.
WhatsApp has also begun displaying more information in notifications telling users that they have been replied to or mentioned in a group chat message.
Bug fixes and general improvements were the focus of the last week’s Android upgrades.
However, in Android beta version 2.21.25.17, WABetaInfo identified fresh references to WhatsApp’s upcoming Communities feature.
According to WABetaInfo, WhatsApp Communities will allow admins to organize many groups under a single, overarching channel.
This would be akin to the feature offered by Telegram, one of WhatsApp’s most famous competitors.
Telegram has been popular with community safety organizations because to this capacity, as well as support for additional users per channel.
Finally, WhatsApp Business beta users on Android and iOS may utilize a new advanced search filter to search their chats and messages.
“You can quickly browse results that meet your condition when you employ these options,” WABetaInfo explained.
Users can also combine multiple criteria to further limit down search results.
They can, for example, look for images taken by non-contacts.
Information sourced from My Broadband