Despite being one of the most usedinstant messaging appsin the world,WhatsApp isn’t without its flaws. However, the app’s developers are constantly working on improving the user experience after taking in feedback from the burgeoning community. One convenient way of getting an early glimpse into WhatsApp’s upcoming feature updates is by signing up for the beta channel via the Play Store. We’ve already encountered a handful of interesting beta updates in thelast week alone, and we’ve now got two more to add to the list, thanks to a couple of betas sent out over the weekend.
The first beta update (v2.23.24.11) effectively brings backMuted updates, as shown below, which disappeared from the main Updates tab following thearrival of Channelsnot too long ago. While users could still access Muted updates after this change, it was hidden behind the three-dot menu, as WABetaInfopoints out.
This was all part of WhatsApp’s push to make Channels front and center. But those who didn’t buy into the concept and wanted to stick to viewing status updates like they used to were quick to point out the inconvenient relocation of Muted updates. But if this beta update is any indication, the developers are on course to rectify this oversight in a future release. This particular feature is said to be rolling out to some beta testers, with wider availability expected over the coming days. The publication adds that version 2.23.24.11 of WhatsApp for Android also introduces a new app info screen featuring a darker background color.
The second beta update released over the weekend, also revealed byWABetaInfo, introduces the ability to create and share polls within a Channel. The functionality would be fairly identical to polls on one-on-one or group chats, including the ability to limit the choices to just one, if needed.
User privacy is well protected within Channel polls, too, with all votes remaining anonymous. This particular feature has made its way to WhatsApp beta with version2.23.24.12, currently rolling out through the Play Store. WABetaInfo reports that polls integration within Channels is still under development and will roll out in a future update, so you may not see it on yourAndroid smartphoneimmediately, even if you have this specific version of WhatsApp beta.
WhatsApp has been late to the party on some features within Channels,like message editing, which made its long-awaited appearance on the app’s stable channel last week. Then there are some other, more obvious inclusions we can look forward to, like therevamped chat support systemthat leverages the power of AI, although this feature has only made it to the beta channel so far.
