WhatsApp is readying these new features for Android and iOS
WhatsApp has a number of features under development for Android, iOS, and the web version. Given the growing popularity of the instant messaging app, the company is hard at work to revamp the user experience. While these new features are not accessible on the stable channel as yet, some of them are under testing on the beta channel and may arrive soon.
Animated emojis
WhatsApp is reportedly working on a feature that would allow you to send animated emojis, similar to Telegram. The new feature has been designed with Lottie, an open-source curated animation library. Animated emojis will be sent by default if animations exist for a particular emoji so it is unclear if users will be able to disable the feature within the app.
Video messages
The Meta-owned app is also working on developing a video messages feature. This option is not the same as the video files. Video messages can be up to 60 seconds long but they can neither be saved nor forwarded, as opposed to normal videos. So how do they both differ in appearance? Video messages would be marked with a circular shape.
Expiring group
An expiring group option is also said to be in the works. As the name suggests, group chats will be designed to have an expiry date, including one day, a week, and a month, allowing you to manage groups better and also save storage space. The feature could be useful in cases when group conversations are required only temporarily, say an office weekend trip.
Redesigned media editor
Talking about developments on the beta channel, WhatsApp has introduced a redesigned media editor for iOS beta users. When you select images and videos from the gallery, the selected files will be displayed within a toolbar that has been introduced at the bottom. The bottom toolbar is also scrollable, giving you a complete overview of the media that has been selected.
Tweaked lock screen view
Some iOS beta users have also received an update that brings a tweaked lock screen. Within the app, the lock icon has been moved to the top of the screen while the 'Use Face ID' option has been made more prominent and pushed to the bottom of the screen. Recently, the app also introduced a revamped sidebar on the native macOS app.
Improvements to the contact list
On the Android beta version, the app has made minor changes to the contact list. Previously, the 'About' information of contacts would be truncated if the text was too long. Now, the app provides a wider view of contacts within the in-app contact tab.
