WhatsApp is rolling out a new update through the Google Play Beta Program, bringing the version up to 2.23.5.8.
What’s new in this update? WhatsApp is redesigning the Status tab to include newsletters, providing a new way for users to receive updates, for a future version of the app!
| Common questions | Answers |
|---|---|
| Name of the feature? | Status and Newsletters tab |
| Status? | Under development |
| Availability? | WhatsApp is working on bringing a redesigned status and newsletters tab 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 is not ready to be released to beta testers, but you can discover a preview in this article. |
| Thanks: | Swakshan, for testing and reporting! |
| How to join the community on WhatsApp? | WABetaInfo Community |
| Previous news? | WhatsApp beta for Windows gets new call link feature for quick call sharing! |
Last week, we published an article about a private newsletter tool, a new feature under development marked as a one-to-many feature for broadcasting information. Thanks to newsletters, users will be able to choose who they want to hear from and follow broadcasters of their choice. We explained that this feature will be separate and optional, available within the Status tab. The feature is still in development but thanks to the latest WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.5.8 update available on the Play Store, we’re able to show you a preview:
As you can see in this screenshot, WhatsApp is working on tweaking the Status tab by bringing two different sections: status and newsletter. As a result of this redesigned section, one of the key features will be the integration of newsletters that you follow directly into the status tab, available in a future update of the app, and the ability to discover newsletters by entering a username. In addition, status updates will be shown in a horizontal layout in the future, similar to Instagram Stories.
As we explained in our previous article, users who create and subscribe to a newsletter will have their phone numbers masked and hidden to prevent the disclosure of their identity. Newsletters will be shown chronologically without any hidden priority, they don’t have ads at the moment, and there is no sign of algorithmic recommendations. In addition, users will always have control over who they follow, and nobody else will be able to see who they follow.
The redesigned status tab with newsletters is under development and will be released in a future update of the app. As always, we’re going to post an additional article when we have further details to share with you.
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