What you need to know
- WhatsApp beta is getting a new feature that allows users to manage contacts within the app.
- Allows Android users to add or edit contacts to their address book or Google account.
- This can be done without having to leave or exit the app.
WhatsApp is on a rush in introducing new features to the messaging platform, especially in the recent betas. Last week, we saw a new bottom navigation bar on the platform. The beta is now getting another new feature (spotted by WABetaInfo).
Users will be able to add and edit contacts using the new feature without leaving WhatsApp. The WBI report states that this is quite different from the current process of adding contacts on Android smartphones.
For example, users can add a new contact directly from the Chats tab on WhatsApp when users initiate a New Chat action. However, this will redirect to the phone’s default contacts adding app.
This will likely change in future generations of WhatsApp when the update is officially rolled out after leaving beta. According to the shared screen from the WBI, the new process allows users to add a contact either to their phone’s memory or to an associated Google account without having to exit the app.
This can be a useful feature as it saves the hassle of frequently switching between apps like WhatsApp and Contacts while adding new entries, especially since a person may often receive a text message from a number outside of your contacts. In such cases, this new method seems to simplify the process of adding a new contact. The World Bank Institute notes that it also allows users to add unknown numbers, which can be particularly useful since certain regions see an influx of spam within WhatsApp, especially in India.
While the new feature is currently available in beta, it may take some time to see daylight for the general consumer of the Meta-owned messaging platform. This new method is available for beta testers on Android phones running WhatsApp Beta versions 2.23.8.2And 2.23.8.4And 2.23.8.5And 2.23.8.6.