Soon, you'd be able to 'reply privately' on WhatsApp groups
Soon, WhatsApp users would get a new feature, one that lets them reply privately to messages sent in a group. The capability, first spotted by WABetaInfo, could come as a handy upgrade, as right now there is no way to issue direct private replies for messages sent in groups. Note that the feature is available in beta at the moment. Here are the details.
Reply privately: How the feature works
WhatsApp users can already reply to individual messages by long-pressing a message and tapping on the text-box. The feature works in groups too, but with the new private reply feature, you'll be able to select a message received on a group and open a private chat window with its sender, quoting it. The message will be quoted like normal reply threads, enabling a conversation.
How to enable and use this feature?
To use this feature, you'll have to long-press a group message and open an overflow menu from the three-dotted icon on the upper right corner of the screen. There, you'll see an option titled 'Reply Privately'. Tapping on it will open the reply thread in the private chat window. We were able to use the feature and it worked perfectly.
However, it is recommended to wait for the stable version
Though the feature worked perfectly, it is worth noting that it is only available on the latest beta (version v2.18.335) of WhatsApp for Android. It could have bugs capable of affecting your WhatsApp experience. In fact, WABetaInfo already notes that the app crashes if a media file received on a group is deleted. So, we'd recommend waiting for a stable release of the feature.
