WhatsApp is constantly working on new features to keep its user base intact. With more than 2 billion active users from across the world, the need to improve the user experience is essential, especially when there are a lot of options available out there. That said, WhatsApp has some really cool features in the pipeline, which have been spotted in beta versions of the app hinting at an imminent rollout.
WABetaInfo, which monitors all developments at WhatsApp in its beta stage, has revealed various features being tested by the Facebook-owned messaging platform. Here's a look at what they are and their use case.
Multi-device access
WhatsApp has been rumoured to rollout multi-device access, but there's no official word on it. After hearing about the feature for the first time in March, multi-device support has once again been spotted in the latest WhatsApp beta build for Android and iOS. This feature could allow the same account to be run on four devices simultaneously.
With the rollout of multi-device access, WhatsApp will address one of the biggest pain points in the app that limits one account to one device at all times. Users cannot have the same account on more than one device and in the case of WhatsApp Web, there cannot be two PC browsers running the same WhatsApp account. That would change with multi-device support and bring relief to many, especially at a time when users mostly have more than one smartphone.
Search by date
Isn't it frustrating to scroll up the chats to find contents of messages from a particular date? Well, WhatsApp has heard those cries and a "search by date" option is in the pipeline, which will allow users to sift through existing group chats and conversations by their date. The feature might arrive on iOS first followed by Android. Users can simply choose the date by tapping on the calendar icon and selecting the date of the conversation.
Storage usage
With hundreds of messages containing videos and images can easily eat up your phone's storage. WhatsApp is testing the Storage Usage feature to allow users to manage WhatsApp's storage use more efficiently by letting users find large files and forwarded files easily. WhatsApp is also working on introducing a Sort button for images in a chat. Users can choose from Newest, Oldest, and Size.
Clear except starred
WhatsApp has an option to star important messages, but that feature will find its real purpose with an upcoming follow-up feature called "Clear except starred." With this, users will be able to keep important messages and clear the chats with just one tap. This replaces the tardy way of selecting unimportant messages one by one and deleting them.
ShareChat integration
In an unusual move, WhatsApp might integrate ShareChat, which is a media player for videos. This is quite popular in India as it enjoys more than 60 million monthly active users. The platform hosts short videos in vernacular languages that are usually share on WhatsApp. With this integration, users will not only spend more time on WhatsApp but also be able to share watch ShareChat videos without having to leave the app - something like what it has done with YouTube videos.
There's no exact word on when (and even if) these features will be rolled out to the public. But we are hoping the wait isn't long.
