The app is testing a new look for its communities feature. Learn more about it!
WhatsApp continues to test and release new features for users of the platform, improving usability and the experience within the app. Now, in addition to testing a new home page on Android and iOS, the beta version of the app is also working on new visual adjustments. This Tuesday (19), the app gained a new icon for communities.
According to information from WABetaInfo, some users who installed version 2.23.20.3 on Android noticed that communities now have a square icon with rounded corners. In addition, it now also includes the presence of several icons forming a kind of shadow to indicate that there are several group chats within it.
Find out more about this hot new feature from WhatsApp!
Communities
THE communities resource WhatsApp has now gained a new icon. It now appears with a square icon with rounded corners, with the presence of several icons forming a kind of shadow to indicate that there are several chats within it, according to information from WABetaInfo, which specializes in the platform.
The improvement is currently being released to some users. As a result, it is not yet widely available. However, the update should reach all users soon.
Apparently, the change was necessary because the app is experimenting with grouping community ad groups and multiple community groups into a single tab.
More news
The app is also testing other new features for users. One of these new features is the use of avatars in video calls. With this update, the participant in a video call can change their image to an animated avatar. This new feature is available in version 2.23.19.14 for a limited group of testers.
According to WABetaInfo, the app's intention is to help protect users' privacy, allowing them to mask their real appearance with their avatar, but still participate in the video interaction. The feature is available in calls from Messenger and Instagram since July this year.
In addition to bringing a fun and personalized tone to conversations, the feature allows users who do not want to be seen to be able to see others without any problems, without being present only with a static photo. Avatars will imitate movements and facial expressions in real time. The new feature should be available to more users soon.
Advertisements
Recent rumors have also suggested that WhatsApp is studying a way to include ads within the app, to increase its profits. The information was allegedly leaked by employees of the app itself. These supposed ads would appear in the contact list and even in the user's conversations, in addition to short videos in the Status tab.
After the news broke, WhatsApp CEO Will Cathcart posted a statement saying the app has no plans to include ads on the network. The company has also said it can't detail every conversation someone has had on the company, but that it isn't testing this and that it's not a plan for the brand.
In addition to the rumors about ads, there is also information that the company would create a premium subscription, where users would pay to not receive ads in the app. Despite the company's denial, it is best to wait for the next steps, since the platform has invested in numerous changes in recent times.
