The development team behind WhatsApp never tires of adding new functions to the messenger. On the one hand, this ensures a better user experience, but on the other hand, it should also put a stop to the competition that has been offering similar functions for a long time. We have summarized for you here the updates and new functions you can look forward to with WhatsApp.
New Functions In The Beta: WhatsApp Is Testing Innovations
If you use other short message services, such as Telegram, in addition to WhatsApp, some of the following functions may seem familiar to you: Many innovations that WhatsApp is currently testing in beta programs are already freely accessible to all users elsewhere.
Before the Meta subsidiary releases updates, closed beta tests are intended to ensure their functionality—a standard procedure in the tech industry to eliminate errors. Functions that are in the beta stage can change for development, be it through feedback from the testers or because the development team itself identifies a need for improvement. In addition, sometimes features go through the beta process without being subsequently released.
Participate In The WhatsApp Beta
If you would like to take part in the WhatsApp beta program yourself to try out new functions in advance, we will explain to you how to register for it in the article linked below. Participation is free and works on both iOS and Android.
The content of the beta programs differs depending on the operating system. WhatsApp tests different functions on Android than on iOS and vice versa, and not all testers are allowed to try out all new functions; instead, a random selection takes place. Once registered, you can participate in the WhatsApp beta permanently and exit on your own at any time. Please note, however, that beta versions can sometimes be unstable and lead to errors and problems.
WhatsApp: Upcoming New Features
Below, you will find a handful of current features that WhatsApp is testing as part of the beta. Because the development team itself does not communicate which new functions it is sending into the beta, its testers have to search for them themselves as soon as a new version is available for download. Beta updates implement new features or remove older ones. Here, you can get a good impression of what WhatsApp is currently working on and what innovations the messenger could soon come up with.
Automatic Transcription Of Voice Messages
Voice messages are a quick and easy way to communicate on WhatsApp. Thumb on the microphone and chatter away. As uncomplicated as a voice message may be for the sender, the situation in which the other party finds themselves is sometimes inappropriate. So that voice messages no longer remain unheard for hours in the future, or the answer only answers half of the questions, WhatsApp could soon integrate an auxiliary function: automatic transcripts.
When transcribing, WhatsApp independently translates spoken language into written text. Instead of having to press your phone to your ear for minutes to understand what’s being said, you can read the transcript. Of course, WhatsApp understands what was said. As a special bonus, transcribed voice messages can be searched using chat search. This way, you can access previously recorded information even more quickly.
- Stage: Beta, currently only occasionally available for iOS 16, only in English
- Note: Apple is also bringing a similar function to the iPhone with iOS 17. From fall 2023, your iPhone will automatically convert voice messages that you receive via the “Messages” app into text. Apple is also letting you try out the function in a beta version of the new operating system.
Respond To WhatsApp Calls
If you prefer to have dialogues instead of monologues, you can also use WhatsApp to make phone calls. If WhatsApp rings on your smartphone, you can tap “Reply” in addition to “Reject” and “Accept” directly in the notification that appears. The call will then also be rejected, but an input field will immediately open that you can use to send a message to the caller. Until now, you first had to open WhatsApp and call up the corresponding chat; the new button shortens this path.
Stage: Beta, currently only occasionally available for Android
Share Your WhatsApp Status On Facebook
Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp belong to Meta. It is, therefore, hardly surprising that this results in synergies between the networks. For example, it has long been possible to share Instagram stories on Facebook automatically. A future WhatsApp update could take a similar direction.
In a beta for iPhone and Android, some users discovered a new switch that, once activated, publishes status messages published on WhatsApp in parallel on Facebook. So far, the stories posted on WhatsApp have remained strictly within their cosmos. You currently only have the choice of which WhatsApp contacts you want to share your status with.
Stage: Beta, currently only occasionally available for Android
Multiple WhatsApp Accounts In One App
WhatsApp has not yet provided for the messenger to be linked to more than one account. However, if you want to set up a second WhatsApp account with a separate number on your smartphone, the only way to do this is currently via “WhatsApp Business. ” This application is primarily designed for communication between companies and their customers, but it can also be set up and used privately.
In the future, you can save yourself the trouble of installing the professional WhatsApp version. Because in the beta, there is already the option to add additional accounts to the existing one—similar to what is possible with Instagram, for example. As soon as you have saved another WhatsApp account in the app, the setup follows the familiar pattern, and you can switch between the accounts at any time within the app.
- Stage: Beta, currently only occasionally available for Android
- Note: The reverse case of setting up a WhatsApp account on multiple smartphones has also been possible since spring 2023. You can find the details below.
Transfer Chats Without iCloud Or Google Drive
When moving from WhatsApp to a new smartphone, you previously had to pack your chats into moving boxes in advance so that you could continue to access them on the new device. These “moving boxes” are Apple’s iCloud in the case of iOS and Google Drive in the case of Android. You could only transfer chats saved there as backups to other devices.
With the new “Transfer Chats” function, WhatsApp once again offers a shortcut here, but for now, only for the Android beta. With a bit of luck, in “Settings,” you will find the option to transfer the chat history to an Android phone without Google Drive as a further point between “Chat backup” and “Chat history” as a swift mover. Whether WhatsApp is planning
Stage: Beta, currently only available for Android
Animated Avatars
You probably already know that WhatsApp has allowed you to create a 3D avatar of yourself since the end of 2022. If not, you will find all the information below. What is new, however, is an expansion of the avatar that WhatsApp is currently testing in beta for iOS and Android: animations. If you select your avatar using the emoji button instead of an emoji or gif, you will now also find animated stickers in the list.
Under the categories “Happy,” “Love,” “Sad or Angry,” and so on, the first avatar stickers are self-running animations, depending on the category, from just one to four. The team behind WhatsApp may add additional animations and other functions for your avatar in the future.
Stage: Beta, currently only available for iOS and Android
Group Voice Chats
Instead of contacting all participants in a group via a voice or video call, WhatsApp is currently testing voice chats as an additional communication channel in the Android beta. The function is represented by its symbol in the top bar. If someone in the group taps on it, a voice chat starts within the group that other people can join.
These are informed via push notifications via voice chat. However, unlike a call, the smartphone does not ring here. If no one joins for 60 minutes, WhatsApp will end the voice chat automatically. In the test phase of the function, it is only available for groups that have more than 32 participants. Only a maximum of 32 people can converse via the voice chat itself. It is still unclear whether group admins will be able to deactivate the function in the final version.
Stage: Beta, currently only occasionally available for Android
New WhatsApp Features: These New Features Are Available To Everyone
While the above functions are currently only available to a small group of beta testers, WhatsApp has recently released some updates that have expanded the range of functions for everyone. We have summarized what these are and other tips and tricks for WhatsApp for you here:
- Use WhatsApp on multiple devices: At the end of April 2023, WhatsApp released an update that allows you to use your WhatsApp account on multiple smartphones in parallel. Previously, this was only possible via WhatsApp Web in the browser. You can now save yourself this detour. You can read in detail how to set up WhatsApp on a second cell phone here.
- WhatsApp Communities: Differences from Group Chats: Communities on WhatsApp combine group chats. For example, if school classes were the equivalent of a group chat, the community would be the school management above it. Communities allow an additional level of organization and communication within groups and beyond. Information about WhatsApp communities can be found here.
- Avatars on WhatsApp: This is how you create your 3D figure. Since the end of 2022, you have had another option when designing your WhatsApp profile. With the new avatars, you create a virtual 3D image of yourself, which you can then dress up and use as your profile picture in wild antics. In this article, you will find out how you can design, edit, and send your avatar as a sticker.
- Create a WhatsApp survey. This is how it works on Android and iOS: Quickly getting the group or the person you’re talking to ready for a shared appointment is now much easier thanks to new survey functions in WhatsApp. We’ll tell you how to create a survey in a chat and what you should pay attention to in the specially created guide.
- WhatsApp: This is how self-deleting messages work and how you save them. Did you know that you can send messages with a built-in expiration date on WhatsApp? Sensitive content is automatically deleted from the chat after the specified period—for everyone. But there is the option of even saving self-deleting messages.
- WhatsApp: This is how you lock and protect chats from prying eyes. WhatsApp has long allowed chats to be archived. However, this does not protect them from unauthorized access. If a person has your unlocked smartphone in their hand, they can read through all of your chats on WhatsApp. So that you are protected against prying eyes in the future, WhatsApp lets you block chats. The chat is then locked with a lock whose only suitable key is your fingerprint. In addition, shared media in locked chats is not stored in the device memory, so spying is not possible via this detour.
- WhatsApp video messages: This is how you send them: If voice messages are not enough to convey all the relevant information, perhaps 60-second video messages could offer you a way out. After a lengthy beta phase, WhatsApp released the function for all users in the summer of 2023. You can read how to send video messages instead of voice messages in our detailed guide.
New WhatsApp Features That Are Worth The Wait
Even if WhatsApp does not reveal in advance when new functions can be expected for the service, the next few months are likely to be exciting. In particular, innovations such as video messages or automatic transcriptions of voice messages are likely to find many fans. However, when it comes to the functions presented here, you should keep in mind that WhatsApp deliberately only releases them as beta. If the development team finds that the feature does not meet their desired expectations, it may well never make it past the beta stage.
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