WhatsApp is rolling out a new update through the Google Play Beta Program, bringing the version up to 2.23.15.9.
What’s new in this update? WhatsApp is releasing enhancements for profile icons within group chats, and this feature is available to some beta testers!
| Common questions | Answers |
|---|---|
| Name of the feature? | Profile icons |
| Status? | Rolling out |
| Compatibility? | WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.15.9 is marked as a compatible update. |
| I’ve installed this update but I don’t have this feature. Why? | This feature is available to some beta testers, and it’s rolling out to more users over the coming days. |
| Thanks: | flakoflow_25 and ebenezer241, for testing and reporting! |
| Previous news? | WhatsApp for iOS 23.14.74: what’s new? WhatsApp is widely rolling out a feature to create channels in Singapore and Colombia! |
PROFILE ICONS
In the article about the WhatsApp beta for iOS 23.13.0.76 update, we announced a new feature available to some beta testers on the iOS app: improved profile icons within group chats. With this feature, WhatsApp is bringing enhancements to those thumbnails within group chats by introducing a particular revision to make it easier to recognize group members without a profile photo. After installing the latest WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.15.9 update, which is available on the Google Play Store, some beta testers may be able to experiment with the same improvements today!
As you can see in the attached screenshot, it is evident that WhatsApp introduced a revision to the thumbnails of contacts whose profile pictures are hidden or unavailable. Previously, WhatsApp displayed a default empty profile photo with a color that matched the corresponding contact name, in order to improve their identification. Thanks to this new feature, these updated thumbnails now display the initials of the respective group member’s name. In our opinion, this enhancement will further assist other participants in the conversation by enabling them to quickly identify the contact represented by the thumbnail.
If you wish to find out whether this feature is available for your WhatsApp account, you need to open a group chat and look for a message sent by a group member whose profile picture is not visible. In the event that the contact is saved with a name that doesn’t start with special characters, you may see the initial of their name directly within the new thumbnail.
The enhancements for profile icons within group chats are available to some beta testers that install the latest WhatsApp beta for Android update from the Google Play Store, and they are rolling out to even more people over the coming days.
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