Category: ANDROID

WhatsApp is developing a feature that will let users dictate a message and send it as text on Android. Instead of sending the audio recording, users will be able to convert their voice into a text message. The feature works offline using a locally downloaded language pack, making it possible to dictate messages without an active Internet connection.

WhatsApp is introducing new chat theme categories on Android, giving users more tools to personalize their conversations. The update brings five categories for chat themes and a separate set of categories for wallpapers. WhatsApp also assigns bubble colors automatically for every theme to make messages easier to read.

WhatsApp is introducing new language packs for voice message transcriptions on Android. Users who receive voice messages in any of the supported languages can read them as text instead of listening to them. The feature relies on language packs downloaded locally on the device, making transcriptions private by default.

WhatsApp is rolling out a new page for events, making it simpler for users to create, manage, and review them. Users can open the hub directly from the app settings, where WhatsApp shows a new entry with a badge to make it easy to notice. Users can invite anyone to an event, even people who are not on WhatsApp.

WhatsApp is working on an upgrade to Advanced Chat Privacy with a new name to avoid confusion. It will limit certain chats to the user's primary mobile device, making it harder to access them through linked devices. The feature will also keep all the protections that Advanced Chat Privacy already offers.

Starting today, WhatsApp no longer works on devices with Android 5.0 or 5.1. Users on those versions cannot use the app until they upgrade their Android device to a supported version. The minimum requirement is now Android 6.0, and this applies to both WhatsApp Messenger and WhatsApp Business.

WhatsApp is introducing a feature that lets users pin more than three messages in their chats and groups. Users who rely on pinned messages now have one more slot available. This feature is helpful for anyone who regularly pins multiple messages in their conversations.