What you need to know
- WhatsApp beta gets a new feature that lets users manage contacts within the app.
- It allows Android users to add or edit contacts to their address book or Google account.
- It can be done without the need to leave or quit the app.
WhatsApp is on a spree in introducing new features to the messaging platform, particularly in recent betas. Last week, we saw a new bottom navigation bar on the platform. The beta version now gets another new feature (spotted by WABetaInfo).
Users will be able to add and edit contacts with the new feature without leaving WhatsApp. The WBI report indicates this is entirely different from the current process of adding contacts on Android smartphones.
For instance, users can add a new contact right from the "Chats" tab on WhatsApp when users initiate the "New chat" action. However, that would redirect to the phone's default contact-adding application.
This is likely to change in the future generations of WhatsApp when the update rolls out officially leaving beta. According to the shared screenshot by WBI, the new process allows users to add a contact to either their phone's memory or to the associated Google account without needing to exit the app.
This can be a handy feature as it saves the hassle of frequently switching between apps like WhatsApp and Contacts while adding new entries, especially as one may often receive a text from a number outside your contacts. In such cases, this new method seemingly streamlines the process of adding a new contact. WBI notes that it also allows users to add unknown numbers, which may be particularly useful as certain regions experience an influx of spam within WhatsApp, particularly in India.
While the new feature is currently available in beta, it could be a while to see the light of day for general consumers of the Meta-owned messaging platform. This new method is available for beta testers on Android phones running WhatsApp Beta versions 2.23.8.2, 2.23.8.4, 2.23.8.5, and 2.23.8.6.
