WhatsApp is testing new features for its messaging service, with one noteworthy feature allowing users to transfer files via a local network without the need for an internet connection. Furthermore, the site is developing a contact note feature that allows users to attach personalized messages to specific connections.
The local file-sharing feature, revealed by screenshots from WhatsApp's Android beta version 2.24.9.22 (courtesy of WABetaInfo), allows users to share different kinds of files, such as photos and documents, with nearby WhatsApp users via a local network, without the need for cellular data or an internet connection. To use this feature, users must opt in to be discoverable by neighboring users. However, they may withdraw this authorization at any time, giving users complete control over their visibility.
Furthermore, WhatsApp tells customers that this mode of file sharing will be end-to-end encrypted, ensuring the same level of security as WhatsApp communications. Another feature being developed is the ability to add notes to contacts. Screenshots from the Android beta version 2.24.9.17 reveal a new section on the contact sheet where users may leave personal remarks about their contacts. These notes are just viewable to the individual who generated them; they will not be shared with the contacts. This feature is planned to be accessible via both the mobile app and WhatsApp Web.
These features are presently in beta testing, and there is no formal timeline for their release. Yet if user feedback during testing is positive, these functionalities may soon become part of a WhatsApp upgrade. Earlier reports stated that WhatsApp was going to launch a new feature to improve user interaction. This new feature, discovered during beta testing, intends to emphasize current online contacts, making it easier for users to initiate conversations with people they've recently connected with.
This upcoming feature, discovered during beta testing by WABetaInfo, is designed to make it easier for users to interact with friends, family, and colleagues who are currently active or were recently online.
