WhatsApp launched an array of features in 2021, and there are more to follow. WhatsApp has been seen working on a handful of new features in recent weeks. Some of these features are presently in development, while others are reportedly being tested in beta form (which means their rollout is not so far away). Most recently, WhatsApp was spotted testing Instagram Reels integration on the platform. We’ve compiled a list of WhatsApp features that are in the work and are likely to roll out in 2022. The new WhatsApp features are expected to enhance the messaging experience and introduce some new use cases for the app. Let’s take a look:
WhatsApp features expected to launch in 2022
1. Hide your ‘last seen’ from specific contacts
WhatsApp always had a setting that lets you hide your last seen from your contacts. It is a handy feature for people who want to hide their availability from their WhatsApp contacts. One downside of using this feature is that you are also not able to see the ‘last seen’ status of your contacts. This causes issues for users like me who only want to hide their last seen status from specific people in my contacts but not all of them. Thankfully, the company is testing a new feature that lets people hide their ‘last seen’ status from only specific contacts.
Once the feature goes live, you will be able to hide your ‘last seen’ status from only specific contacts and be able to see the ‘last seen’ status of all the other people in your contacts. The feature is already available in the beta version of the app and it should roll out in the coming weeks or months to all the users.
2. No time limit for deleting sent messages
While WhatsApp allows users to delete sent messages, currently, there’s a time limit of up to 4,096 seconds (68 minutes and 16 seconds) to delete a message after it was sent. But according to testing on beta version of the app, the company might be planning to remove this limit once and for all. A time limit for executing the delete action was not found during the testing. It means that users will be able to delete their sent messages from any time in the past. That said, there’s no clear timeline when this feature will be available, so it will be a while before we see this feature.
3. Message reaction
It looks like you would soon be able to react with images to WhatsApp messages the same way you do on Instagram and Facebook. The preview of the feature was allegedly spotted by WABetaInfo. The feature will reportedly be dubbed as meesage reaction and will allow users to react to a message using a total of six emojis. Message reactions will be available in individual chat threads as well as group chats. Additionally, users can enable/ disbale the notifications for message reaction from the ‘Reaction Notifications’ option.
4. A new community feature
WhatsApp is working on a new community feature that might be rolled out in a near future. The feature is reportedly similar to discord groups and channels. This is not the same as the groups feature that already exists in WhatsApp. The new communities feature will give admins more control over the different aspects of the app. Admins will be able to create multiple groups inside a community, just like you can do in Discord. Like other chats, the community chats will be end-to-end encrypted. We don’t have more details on this feature right now, but seeing the amount of work needed to implement this feature, we are sure that this feature will be publicly rolled out sometime in 2022.
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5. WhatsApp logout
WhatsApp logout will replace the ‘Delete Account’ button and support the upcoming multi-device feature. As per a report of WaBetaInfo, which keeps a track of WhatsApp updates, the app will finally bring in a logout option for its users. The option will allow users to log out of WhatsApp accounts from their devices, just like Facebook and other social networking apps. The feature was recently spotted on the new beta version of WhatsApp and is said to roll out to both iOS and Android versions of the app soon. The WhatsApp logout feature is likely to allow people on the app to use their accounts on multiple devices at the same time.
6. Instagram Reels on WhatsApp
WhatsApp to get the Instagram Reels section going forward. The feature will reportedly allow users to watch Instagram Reels directly from the messaging app. This could be a part of WhatsApp’s integration plan with other Facebook-owned apps. For those unaware, Instagram Reels is the short video feature, which was added to the picture-sharing app last year after the government banned TikTok.
7. Read later
‘Read later’ is said to be an improved version of the existing Archived Chats feature on WhatsApp. When a chat is moved to read later, WhatsApp won’t send notifications for that chat. Additionally, the feature will include a ‘vacation mode’, which will ensure that the ‘read later’ chats work the same way as archived chats on the current stable version. Read later will also come with an edit button for users to customise settings. WhatsApp users will also be able to select multiple chats at once to quickly unarchive them.
8. Create your own sticker
There will be an option to create your own sticker on WhatsApp soon. As reported by 91mobiles, tipster Mukul Sharma spotted the feature in the beta version of the messaging platform. The WhatsApp create your own sticker will allow users to upload a picture of their choice and make it a sticker. There could be customised tools to edit the sticker to make it funnier. That’s all the information we can divulge at the moment.
9. WhatsApp Insurance
You’ll soon be able to buy insurance via WhatsApp in India. The Facebook-owned messaging platform is set to roll out health insurance and micro-pension products on its messaging platform in India through tie-ups with licensed financial services players. Initially, WhatsApp will sell SBI General sachet-health insurance cover and HDFC Pension schemes via its platform.