WhatsApp is rolling out a new update through the Google Play Beta Program, bringing the version up to 2.23.21.7.
What’s new in this update? WhatsApp is rolling out a search feature for the Updates tab, making it possible to search for status updates and channels, and it is available to some beta testers!
| Common questions | Answers |
|---|---|
| Name of the feature? | Search – Updates tab |
| Status? | Rolling out |
| Compatibility? | WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.21.7 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 people over the coming days. |
| Thanks: | UnluckyTester and FastenM, for testing and reporting! |
| Previous news? | WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.21.4: what’s new? WhatsApp is rolling out a pinned messages feature and a redesigned chat attachment menu! |
SEARCH – UPDATES TAB
In the article about the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.20.16 update, we shared information regarding an important improvement for the Updates tab: a search feature. In fact, this feature has been removed after the release of WhatsApp Channels, making it complicated for users to search for status updates. The feature was under development in the previous versions of the app but, thanks to the latest WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.21.7 update, which is available on the Google Play Store, we discovered that WhatsApp is finally rolling out this feature to some beta testers!
As you can see in this screenshot, a search button may now be available within the top app bar, making it possible to search for status updates, followed channels, and even other verified channels. If you want to discover if this feature is available to your account, we suggest closing the app twice after updating it from the Google Play Store as this action might force the search button to appear within the Updates tab.
As we said in our previous article when the feature was in development, this feature is highly beneficial as it was very complicated to search for status updates shared by a specific contact with the new Updates tab, making the user experience definitely worse. With the latest update of the app, WhatsApp is introducing the search feature for status updates again, along with important improvements to allow users to quickly search for followed channels and other verified channels without opening the directory.
The search feature for the Updates tab is available to some beta testers after installing the latest update of WhatsApp beta for Android from the Google Play Store, and it’s rolling out to even more people over the coming days.
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