WhatsApp is rolling out a new update through the Google Play Beta Program, bringing the version up to 2.23.18.17.
What’s new in this update? WhatsApp is working on an introduction screen for the recent history sharing feature, and it will be available in a future update of the app!
| Common questions | Answers |
|---|---|
| Name of the feature? | Recent history sharing |
| Status? | Under development |
| Availability? | WhatsApp is working on bringing a recent history-sharing feature to a future update of the app. |
| I’ve installed this update but I don’t have this feature. Why? | This feature is under development so it’s not ready for beta testers, but you can discover a preview in this article. |
| Previous news? | WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.18.16: what’s new? WhatsApp is rolling out a feature to edit messages within community announcement groups! |
RECENT HISTORY SHARING
In the article about the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.18.5 update, we announced a new feature under development: a recent history sharing option. Thanks to this feature, it will be possible to automatically share messages sent in groups 24 hours before someone new joins, enhancing the way group conversations are experienced and joined. The feature is still in development but, with the latest WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.18.17 update, which is available on the Google Play Store, we discovered a new introduction screen for this feature!
As you can see in this screenshot, WhatsApp is working on an introduction screen where group admins will be able to enable this feature, in a future update of the app. The screenshot gives us a closer look at how this feature will work. Essentially, it’s designed to help new members of a group catch up on previous messages sent before they joined. This enhancement is expected to improve the group experience and make it easier for everyone to stay connected by accessing those previously shared messages, if the option is enabled by a group admin.
As mentioned in the screenshot, these messages are still private and secured by end-to-end encryption. This is possible because messages from the last 24 hours will be automatically shared by existing participants when someone new joins. This means that a new encryption key will be generated to secure those messages as they get delivered to the new member’s device. This way, the messages remain protected and can only be deciphered by the intended recipients.
The recent history-sharing feature is still under development and it will be available in a future update of the app. As always, we’re going to publish a new article when we have further information regarding this feature to share with you.
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