WhatsApp testing in-app support via chat feature on iOS and Android: Report

WhatsApp users can soon ask for support from the service via in-app chat. A similar encrypted messaging service feature was introduced for beta users in Android and iOS last year in March but was discontinued after testing. The new feature will allow users to contact and receive support from WhatsApp in chat.

WhatsApp feature tracker WABetaInfo spotted the new feature on version 22.2.72 for iOS and version 2.22.3.5 for Android. According to the tracker site, on contacting WhatsApp through Settings>Help>Contact, beta testers will get a message that states “We will respond to you on WhatsApp chat.” WhatsApp will hence serve the user. On its chat list through its verified account with a green tick to prove the message is indeed from the Meta-backed company.

Users can also get technical and diagnostic information from WhatsApp like model number, settings on device where the WhatsApp account is installed via chat.  The other information that WhatsApp can access will be network connection details (4G, 5G or Wi-Fi), model number and version of WhatsApp to diagnose an issue in the app. Users can also opt out of sharing these details.

WhatsApp is also testing on animating other heart emojis apart from the red heart emoji on beta version 22.2.72 for iOS. Nothing has been spotted for Android beta testers about the heart emoji or when WhatsApp will roll out the new feature for all users.

Other features WhatsApp is working on are allowing users to manage notification sounds, choose which notification he wants to receive even in a group chat, knowing details of user reaction to a message like the emoji used etc. Its inbuilt drawing tool is also being improved will new pencils being added and another tool to blur parts of an image before sending etc.