WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.4.13: what's new?

WhatsApp is rolling out a new update through the Google Play Beta Program, bringing the version up to 2.24.4.13.
What's new in this update? WhatsApp is working on an optional feature to allow small businesses to use the Cloud API, and it will be available in a future update!

After releasing a feature to allow businesses that use the Cloud API to configure commands for their conversations with customers, WhatsApp is now focusing on improving the way small businesses can scale their operations using new tools. Specifically, thanks to the latest WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.4.13 update, which is available on the Google Play Store, we discovered that WhatsApp is working on allowing small businesses to use the official Cloud API to manage individual chats!

At the moment, businesses that opted to use the Cloud API are limited in their ability to interact in certain aspects of the WhatsApp platform, as they cannot participate in group chats, share status updates, or engage with channels. Thanks to a future update of the app, small businesses will be able to connect to the business platform at their discretion, taking advantage of several features offered by the API, and they can also continue using the WhatsApp Business app for group chats, calls, status updates, and channels.

It's important to mention that any changes regarding the security in business conversations will promptly be visible in the conversation and chat info, as shown in the attached screenshot. It's also worth noting that messages shared with businesses using just the WhatsApp Business app are always end-to-end encrypted. Instead, if a small business is also using the Cloud API, a secure service from Meta will be used to manage the individual conversation, keeping the encryption status unchanged in groups. Users always retain full control over these conversations and can discontinue communication with businesses or block them at any time. For further information on how WhatsApp ensures message security with businesses, we recommend reading this article.

In our opinion, the Cloud API will help small businesses efficiently handle a higher volume of individual chats, leading to improved communication management and facilitating growth and expansion. In addition, with access to group chats and calls, businesses can improve collaboration among team members without using a separate account in case they decide to consolidate their communication tools under one platform. As small businesses continue using the WhatsApp Business app, we believe they will be able to expand their capabilities by leveraging the benefits derived from the Cloud API in the future.

The feature to allow small businesses to use the Cloud API is under development and it will be available in a future update of the app. We plan to publish a new article when we have further details about this feature to share with you.

Stay up-to-date on WhatsApp news by following WABetaInfo on X where you can also discover other new features for WhatsApp beta for Android, iOS, Web/Desktop, and Windows.

Do you like this news? Please, let us know on X: we love hearing your feedback! If you're curious to see where you can find WABetaInfo, there is a dedicated page where you can discover our services.
In addition, we have set up a Discord Server where you can chat with other people, get help and advice, and stay up to date with the latest announcements from WABetaInfo.