According to a report by WABetaInfo, the Meta-owned firm has been making strides after successfully introducing Voice Status, Reactions, and picture-in-picture to video calls on iOS.
Currently, the company is focused on redesigning the Status tab for Android to include newsletters, while also rolling out the Call Link feature on Windows beta and the Sticker maker tool on the iOS app.
Status and Newsletters tab – WhatsApp beta for Android
WhatsApp is redesigning the status tab to include two sections: status and newsletters. Users will be able to choose who they want to follow and subscribe to newsletters.
The update also includes a horizontal layout for status updates, similar to Instagram Stories. Phone numbers of users will be masked and hidden to protect their identity.
Furthermore, newsletters will be chronologically listed, with no ads or algorithmic recommendations, and users will always have control to choose who they follow.
Call Link – WhatsApp beta for Windows
The call link feature is available in the calls tab of the app, allowing users to choose between a voice and video call. A unique URL is created for each call, meaning that only those you share the link with can join.
This is especially useful for one-time calls with people you don’t know well, and it is possible to share the link externally. This feature is accessible to beta testers who installed the WhatsApp beta for Windows 2.2307.1.0 update from the Microsoft Store.
Sticker maker tool – WhatsApp for iOS 23.3.77
WhatsApp’s latest version on iOS 16 now features a sticker maker tool, allowing users to create custom stickers directly from their own images. Users can extract a subject from an image and paste it within a chat to convert it into a sticker.
This eliminates the need for third-party applications for creating certain stickers, providing a more integrated experience for users. The sticker maker tool is available to everyone on the latest version of WhatsApp for iOS 23.3.77, available on the App Store and the TestFlight app. However, as of now, it is only possible to use this feature on iOS 16.
Although the availability of the Status and Newsletters tab is still under development and will be released in a future update of the app, the call link feature and Sticker maker tool have been made available to beta testers on Windows beta and iOS, respectively.