The world’s most popular chat app, WhatsApp, isn’t resting on its laurels. We’ve previously covered a few features currently in the pipeline. Some even made it out of testing and are now available. But it ain’t stopping there.
The platform is constantly seeking to add new features and quality-of-life updates. Well, that’s what it wants everyone to think, anyway.
If you’re reading about WhatsApp updates, there’s a high chance that the new feature is still in development. If they have made it to the testing phase, it’s only available to a handful of testers. There’s an equally high chance that whoever is telling you about the potential new feature got their info from WABetaInfo (WABI). Both are true in this case.
WhatsApp calling made easier
WhatsApp calling looks set to receive a small overhaul, specifically on the platform’s native Windows app. According to WABI, as nobody affectionately calls them, the feature will make it easier to add users to a voice or video call by generating a unique shareable link. This allows the call manager to add people that aren’t saved as contacts. It also opens up the call to anyone with the link, so share it wisely.
To give you a better idea of the timeline of WhatsApp updates, this feature was first rolled out to beta testers in September last year and is now slowly making its way to the broader public. That might not be you right away. Head to the Microsoft Store to check if you’ve got an update waiting. If not, you’ll have to wait a little longer.
When’s that meeting again?
Switching back to mobile, iOS users could, in the distant future, receive the ability to name and then schedule voice or video group calls. We’re not sure why this actually useful feature is being limited to iOS.
Maybe it isn’t and iOS is just the easier platform to start on. Or it’s the most difficult and WhatsApp is doing the hard work first. Either way, this is one of those ‘in development’ features. It isn’t even available to beta testers yet, but that could change in a future update.
I didn’t mean it like that
Another actually useful ‘in development’ feature WABI spotted in a WhatsApp beta for iOS update is the ability to edit messages. The feature first appeared in a November 2022 iOS beta update and is still being worked on.
From what WABI has found so far, the feature will allow users to edit their WhatsApp messages up to fifteen minutes after sending them. Edited messages will then be marked accordingly. No hiding behind your edits here.
This is a tricky one to get right so we’d understand if WhatsApp takes its time here. Hopefully, when it is eventually released into the wild it won’t be limited to iPhones.