WhatsApp beta for Android 2.25.23.16: what's new?

WhatsApp has released a new Android update through the Google Play Beta Program, bringing the version up to 2.25.23.16.
What's new in this update? WhatsApp is releasing a fix to address a crash with opening group chats, and it's available to everyone!

In the article about the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.25.23.14 update, we announced that a feature to display who recently viewed a status update and its privacy settings was under development. This new feature will enhance the overall user experience by making status updates more engaging, informative, and easier to manage. By showing small profile icons of recent viewers directly within the main status interface, users will get a quick snapshot of who has interacted with their updates, without needing to open the full viewer list. Alongside this, the addition of visible privacy settings for each update will help users stay aware of their chosen audience, ensuring more transparency and control over how their content is shared. Meanwhile, a critical crash appears to have occurred with the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.25.23.14 update from the Google Play Store, affecting a large number of users.

With the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.25.23.14 update, some users reported the inability to open specific group chats, as the app repeatedly crashed whenever they attempted to access them. In some cases, the same issue also affected individual chats, preventing users from sending or receiving messages and disrupting their ability to follow conversations. This highlights the severity of the bug, as it directly impacts core messaging functionality and undermines the primary purpose of the app.

The cause of the crash was not clearly identified, but many users noticed that the problem seemed to recur whenever new incoming messages arrived in certain group chats. Some beta testers discovered that they could temporarily access these chats by marking them as read, which prevented the app from crashing in that moment. Unfortunately, this workaround was not fully reliable, since the crash would often return as soon as additional messages were delivered, forcing users to repeat the process again and again.

As with any beta release, these issues are not entirely unexpected, since testing versions are specifically designed to expose flaws before the final roll-out. This phase also helps WhatsApp identify and resolve potential problems early, ensuring that the final product is more stable and reliable for all users. WhatsApp remains committed to reducing the impact of such issues, as the company is consistently working on improvements and rapid fixes when critical instabilities are discovered. However, some issues may still occur despite WhatsApp's ongoing efforts to minimize them.

On X, we noted that several users were affected by this bug, and a subsequent update was expected to provide a definitive fix, eliminating the need for any manual intervention. Following the release of the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.25.23.16 update, we can now confirm that the crash has been fully fixed. Chats can finally be opened without issues, both in group and individual conversations, restoring the app to a stable and reliable state. Users can finally install this update to enjoy a smoother messaging experience and prevent the crash from occurring.

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