WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.4.12: what's new?
WhatsApp is rolling out a new update through the Google Play Beta Program, bringing the version up to 2.24.4.12.
What's new in this update? WhatsApp is rolling out a feature to reply to messages in community announcement groups, and it's available to some beta testers!
| Common questions | Answers |
|---|---|
| Name of the feature? | Announcement replies |
| Status? | Rolling out |
| Compatibility? | WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.4.12 is marked as a compatible update, but some beta testers may be able to experiment with the same feature by installing certain previous updates. |
| I've installed this update but I don't have this feature. Why? | This feature is available to some beta testers, and it is rolling out to more users over the coming weeks. |
| Thanks: | Sc, TestingApp199, Coralblue111, and Technical MJ TV, for testing and reporting. |
| Previous news? | WhatsApp beta for iOS 24.3.10.71: what’s new? WhatsApp is working on a feature to respond to support queries with messages generated by AI! |
ANNOUNCEMENT REPLIES
After announcing a new feature in development that will automatically pin upcoming events in the community info screen, WhatsApp continues its efforts to enhance the overall community experience. WhatsApp is actively introducing new tools designed to improve interaction among community members and administrators, with the goal of offering new features to allow community members to interact with community admins with ease. Specifically, after installing the latest WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.4.12 update, which is available on the Google Play Store, we discovered that WhatsApp is rolling out a feature to allow community members to reply to messages in community announcement groups!
As you can see in this screenshot, some beta testers can now reply to messages shared in community announcement groups. Traditionally, these groups operate as read-only conversations exclusive to community administrators for message sharing with all community members. With the introduction of the announcement reply feature, anyone can actively participate by responding to messages within these groups and view the responses of other members. It's worth noting that users in large communities with more than 1024 participants might not currently be able to experiment with this feature. It's also important to note that the latest versions of WhatsApp beta for Android include a fix for a bug that prevented some users from sending such replies with the past updates of the app.
Introducing a feature that allows anyone to reply to messages shared by the community admin in the community announcement group brings a significant advantage in terms of engagement within the community. In addition, we believe that this feature facilitates real-time interaction, as community members can share their thoughts, ask questions, or provide additional context immediately after reading announcements. This not only enhances communication but also contributes to a more responsive community, where discussions in their group chats and announcement group evolve organically.
The feature to reply to messages in community announcement groups is available to some beta testers that install the latest updates of WhatsApp beta for Android from the Google Play Store, and it is rolling out to even more people over the coming weeks.
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