App hopping no longer required
There are always a ton of new features either being added to WhatsApp or are under active development. For instance, we got some additional clarity on the app’s rumored newsletters feature recently while Android customers will soon find a repositioned navigation bar, much like on WhatsApp for iOS. One of the best encrypted messaging apps out there is now seemingly working on the ability to add or edit a contact without leaving the app, something that WhatsApp for iPhone has supported for a while now.
WABetaInfo found that some users of WhatsApp beta for Android are finding a new contact UI where one can set all the parameters as they usually would on the default Contacts app. Some users on versions 2.23.8.2, 2.23.8.4, 2.23.8.5, and 2.23.8.6 should be seeing this feature, but it should be expanding to more users and versions soon.
The contact can either be stored on the phone’s storage or the user’s paired Google account. You can also make edits to the contacts you’ve saved before such as adding inputs to new fields like birthdays or email addresses directly on WhatsApp. This may seem like a pretty basic functionality for an instant messaging application, but it’s a far cry from going without such a feature. Switching back and forth between WhatsApp and your phone’s contacts app is not a good luck.
If you’re curious to see if this feature is live on your device, WABetaInfo recommends opening the list of contacts on WhatsApp and tapping New contact to see if the new UI appears. For those who aren’t enrolled in the WhatsApp beta program on Android, the feature’s arrival on the stable channel shouldn’t be far away, so hang tight. Separately, WhatsApp is also working on a new voice chat option for groups in addition to making some visual changes to the app’s attachment menu, so there’s plenty more to come from the Meta-owned instant messaging service over the next few months.
