WhatsApp is developing a new Liquid Glass-style voice message player with a redesigned, more modern playback bar. The update will also introduce a button that lets users rewind voice messages by 5 seconds to quickly replay parts they missed.
| Key points | Details |
|---|---|
| Name of the feature: | Liquid Glass for voice note player |
| Feature availability: | Some features announced in this article may be under development and not yet available to all beta testers, or they may be gradually rolling out to users. If you're unable to access a certain feature, you will need to wait for a future update. Keep reading for more information. |
| News shared last week: | WhatsApp is rolling out guest chats to let users message people without an account! |
| Previous article: | WhatsApp beta for Android tests private summaries of unread chats! |
Weekly WhatsApp Beta Updates: New Features and Improvements
This new weekly roundup brings together all the latest updates about WhatsApp beta shared this week. As a result, you can finally catch up on everything you might have missed from our past announcements. You can consider this summary as a way to stay informed about new features, improvements, and fixes. This week's highlight focuses on a feature under development that brings the Liquid Glass design to the voice message player. See what else has been announced this week.
WhatsApp is rolling out 13 additional translation language packs on Android
With the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.26.12.8 update, some beta testers can choose new language packs when translating their messages. The final set now includes Arabic, Czech, Dutch, English, French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Latvian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Urdu. With new language packs, users are more likely to find support for their preferred language. WhatsApp is also expanding the availability of the message translation feature to some accounts in different regions. In addition, it is possible that these language packs will soon support voice message transcriptions as well.
WhatsApp is developing Liquid Glass-interface for voice note player
WhatsApp is working on a feature that makes the voice note player compatible with Liquid Glass. Currently, WhatsApp displays a green bar at the top of the screen when users play a voice note and leave the chat where it was sent. This includes basic controls to keep listening to the voice message even while opening another chat. In a future update, WhatsApp will align the playback bar with the Liquid Glass design language.
The new playback bar shows the sender's profile picture of the voice message on the left side. Additionally, the progress of the voice message will be displayed in a circular pattern and it matches the shape of the profile picture. Users will also be able to rewind a voice message by 5 seconds with a simple tap. This means that users will have more control over their playback experience.
WhatsApp Plus will introduce unified settings for chat lists
WhatsApp is developing a new feature that will allow users to choose a configuration for specific lists. With WhatsApp Plus, users will be able to choose specific settings for all chats and groups included in a list. A single configuration can be applied to multiple conversations at once. The configuration includes chat themes, ringtones, and notifications. This added convenience will let users save significant time. However, subscribing to WhatsApp Plus is entirely optional, as only users who need these additional features will have to subscribe once the plan becomes available.
WhatsApp explores custom lists for status updates on Android
WhatsApp is working on a feature that lets users create custom audiences for status updates in the future. A custom list has a name and an emoji, and contacts in the list can see them. However, contacts will not be able to see who else is included in the custom audience. After sharing the status update with a custom audience, it will appear with a purple color to visually distinguish it from regular updates.
WhatsApp is rolling out Multiple Accounts, Cross-Platform Transfer, and new chat tools
WhatsApp announced several features designed to make communication more convenient. The announcement includes details about multiple accounts and cross-platform transfer. WhatsApp also highlighted new tools to manage storage from the chat info screen and the ability to find new stickers as users type an emoji. In addition, tools to edit photos using Meta AI and generate message suggestions are available to a wider audience.
WhatsApp launches Meta AI tab for centralized access to all AI-powered features on iOS
The WhatsApp beta for iOS 26.12.10.70 update brings a new Meta AI entry point to the tab bar. Users included in this rollout can explore several AI-powered tools in a single, unified section. Another separate feature that makes it easier for users to manage conversations with Meta AI is also available. It lets users consult the chat history of Meta AI directly within the app. Although conversations are separated, Meta AI can still use information stored in its memory across all chats if this option is enabled.
WhatsApp is working on private summaries of multiple unread conversations
WhatsApp is exploring the implementation of a feature that will let users generate secure summaries of their unread chats. They will find the option to get a summary right within the list of their unread conversations. Summaries are generated through Private Processing, a technology developed by Meta that processes data in a private environment. This way, no one, not even Meta or WhatsApp, can access the original messages or the summaries. Private Processing has been audited by third-parties to confirm its security and integrity.
Stay tuned with us to discover new features and updates about WhatsApp coming your way next week. We will continue tracking all the latest beta releases, improvements, and bug fixes so you never miss a thing. Make sure to check back regularly and stay ahead with the newest ways to enhance your WhatsApp experience.
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