WhatsApp is finally bringing its chat message menu UI a seamless design it has been missing for years. The rollout has started for Android users in Beta, and the redesign looks incredibly good and offers a seamless experience.

WABetaInfo spotted the redesigned menu inside WhatsApp Beta for Android 2.26.23.8, now live on the Google Play Store. Three years, that’s how long Android users have waited for a WhatsApp seamless message menu.

The new interface surfaces in both individual chats and group conversations. Tap and hold any message, and the menu appears right there, anchored to the message itself.

Old vs New

The old setup scattered actions across two places: the overflow menu and the top app bar, which held shortcuts for forwarding and editing.

The redesign collapses everything into one contextual menu that floats near the selected message. Common actions sit front and center, while less-used options live one tap deeper under a dedicated “More” section.

iOS users have had something close to this for years.

Image source – WABetaInfo

Rollout is limited right now. Not every beta tester sees it yet, and there’s no confirmed timeline for a stable release.

WhatsApp is testing plenty of new features and changes in its Beta channel, but two of them are actually exciting. WhatsApp for Android would add a new Contacts tab along with a View Once option for text messages.

Dedicated WhatsApp news blog WABetaInfo discovered a new Contacts tab and View once option for text messages in the recent Beta builds. The features are currently being tested, while a rollout window is unknown.

Contacts tab

WhatsApp is preparing a major interface overhaul for the navigation bar with version 2.26.22.6. The app is testing a new Contacts tab, which will replace the Updates tab, offering easier access to your contacts within the app.

Status Updates will be shifted to the top, beside the app header. The appearance is becoming more like Instagram Story look. Presently, the app keeps Updates and Channels inside the Updates tab, with Updates in rectangular cards.

View Once text messages

WhatsApp Beta 2.26.22.7 version added a View once option for text messages for some users. Similar to photos and videos, the View once text feature will vanish the text message after the recipient views the content.

That’s going to be a great tool to keep your sensitive messages ultra private. Texts becoming inaccessible after viewing once will be a big deal. It will be useful in everyday conversations when you want to ensure secrecy.

WhatsApp continues to develop and test new features and UI tweaks. Changes are applied to the Stable channel once they are verified by the engineers. Future updates of WhatsApp would bring some of the upgrades to your device.

WhatsApp has pushed a new beta update for Android users with version 2.26.20.5. This update reveals that WhatsApp is working on a new feature to make chatting more expressive and fun by improving how users respond to messages.

Right now, WhatsApp lets users react to messages by long-pressing a message and choosing an emoji. Users can pick from commonly used emojis or open the full emoji keyboard to find more options. 

In the new update, WhatsApp is planning something more advanced. It is working on a feature that will let users react to messages using both emojis and stickers. This means users will not be limited only to emojis. They will also be able to use stickers as reactions.

Image via WABetaInfo

Stickers are already used in WhatsApp chats, but now users will be able to use them directly as reactions on messages. They can choose stickers from their existing sticker collection. These stickers can be static or animated, so they can show emotions in a more detailed way than emojis. 

The feature will work simply. Users will still long-press a message to react, just like before. But now they may see both emojis and stickers as options. WhatsApp is also testing whether both emoji and sticker reactions can appear together on the same message.

At the moment, this feature is under development and is not available for all users. After testing is complete, WhatsApp will release it in a future update for everyone. Stay tuned.

WhatsApp has released a new update for Android beta users through the Google Play Beta Program, with version 2.26.19.11. This update brings a new privacy feature, which gives users more control over their chats. It focuses on making messages disappear more smartly and flexibly.

The new feature, “After reading”, disappears messages. With this option, messages do not disappear immediately after being sent or after a fixed time. Instead, they disappear only after the recipient opens and reads them. This makes sure that important messages are actually seen before they are deleted.

Earlier, WhatsApp already had disappearing messages with fixed timers like 24 hours, 7 days, and 90 days. These timers delete messages after a set time, even if the receiver has not opened them. Because of this, sometimes messages disappeared before people could read them.

Now, WhatsApp has made it better. Users can choose how long a message should stay after it is read. There are three options: 5 minutes, 1 hour, and 12 hours. Once it is opened, a 5-minute timer starts, and after that, the message is automatically deleted. If the receiver never opens the message, it will still be deleted after 24 hours.

Image via WABetaInfo

This new feature helps make private chats more useful and flexible. It stops messages from disappearing too early and ensures they are read first.

Right now, this feature is available only to some Android beta testers and also appears in iOS beta. WhatsApp will roll it out to more users slowly after testing. Stay tuned for more information.

WhatsApp is rolling out username support to users right now, letting people ditch the phone number requirement. It’s a phased rollout, limited for now, but it’s real and it’s moving.

WABetaInfo spotted the WhatsApp username feature surfacing in the latest Beta builds on both Android and iOS platforms. You won’t see it unless the rollout has hit your account specifically, which is the annoying part.

Want to check? Open WhatsApp, go to Settings, then Profile.

Right now, sharing WhatsApp access means handing over your phone number. A username system changes that: someone can reach you without ever knowing your phone number digits.

WhatsApp still requires a phone number to create and run an account.

Usernames sit between 3 and 35 characters, can only use lowercase letters, numbers, periods, and underscores, and must contain at least one letter.

WhatsApp is introducing something called a username key alongside this rollout. It’s a 4-digit code that someone needs to send you a message via username.

A username system shifts how people share contact information. It could quietly reduce how often Samsung users feel compelled to use other apps for privacy reasons.

Signal, Telegram, and others built identity around usernames years ago. WhatsApp is late to this.

Image via WABetaInfo