WhatsApp beta for iOS 25.21.10.71: what's new?

WhatsApp has released a new iOS update through the TestFlight beta Program, bringing the version up to 25.21.10.71.
What's new in this update? WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that shows how many people are typing a message in a group chat, and it's available to some beta testers!

In the article about the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.25.20.17 update, we announced that a new group chat activity feature from the chat list was available. This feature introduces an improved typing indicator that dynamically shows how many participants are currently typing in a group chat, instead of only displaying a single participant’s name. With this change, users gain a clearer sense of real‑time activity without opening the conversation, making it easier to decide when to join in or wait as multiple replies are composed. It appears that WhatsApp now intends to offer iOS users the same group activity functionality as it already does for the Android version, aiming to provide a consistent experience across both platforms. Following the release of the latest WhatsApp beta for iOS 25.21.10.71 update, which is available on the TestFlight app, we discovered that WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that shows how many people are typing a message in a group chat!

As you can see from the attached screenshot, some beta testers can explore a new feature that allows them to monitor group activity from the chat list in a more accurate way. In previous versions of the app, the typing indicator in the chat list was very limited, because it only displayed the name of one participant even when several people were typing at the same time. This meant that, although a lively conversation might be unfolding, users could only see a single name and had no way of knowing that multiple members were actively composing replies.

To understand the level of activity in a group, users had to open the conversation itself, where the full typing indicators for all participants would be visible. However, opening the conversation in this way automatically marks all unread messages as read, even if the user only wanted to check the activity without actually reading them. Many users found this behavior inconvenient, as it often made them open a group chat unnecessarily just to see whether an active discussion was taking place.

With the new update, WhatsApp has addressed this issue by replacing the single name with a dynamic string that reveals the exact number of participants typing at that moment, for example "2 people typing". This subtle change gives users a far clearer picture of what is happening in the group without having to leave the chat list. It also offers a sense of transparency about the intensity of activity, letting people instantly see whether only one member is composing a reply or whether several participants are engaged at once.

Previously, to get this level of insight, users had to open the group and look at the live indicators at the bottom of the screen, but now that step is no longer necessary. However, it is important to mention that this improvement is limited to typing activity and does not apply to voice message recordings. When multiple people are recording a voice message simultaneously, WhatsApp still shows only the first participant's name in the list, just as before.

Even with that limitation, this feature significantly improves the experience of browsing busy group chats. Seeing how many people are typing at once directly from the chat list gives users more context and allows them to make decisions about how and when to engage. For example, if the indicator shows that several members are typing, it suggests that many new messages are about to appear, and some users may prefer to wait before opening the conversation to read everything at once. Others might be curious to see what is prompting so much activity and will choose to open the group immediately to follow the discussion as it unfolds. In either case, the enhanced typing indicator gives people more control over their interactions, helping them manage their attention and stay better informed about the dynamics within their groups.

A feature that shows how many people are typing a message in a group chat is available to some beta testers who install the latest version of WhatsApp beta for iOS from the TestFlight app, and it's rolling out to more people over the coming weeks.

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