It’s always exciting to find out what’s around the corner for WhatsApp because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up indicating the path that the company plans on taking in the future. The TestFlight beta program is a great way to find out what features might be coming to the app in the next update, and there are two features in particular that we would like to address.
With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that WhatsApp users might be able to schedule group calls at some point, as per WBI. Emphasizing groups was a big part of WhatsApp’s strategy these past few years, similar to what Facebook has been doing with Facebook groups.
Beta testers that saw this feature said that it can be accessed by tapping on the phone icon that is on the upper right corner of the screen. If you are tapping the icon in a group, you will see a drop down menu that will give you two options. The first will let you call the group immediately, whereas the second will bring up another menu that’ll allow them to set a time and a date for a group call.
This will make it a lot easier for groups to function in a professional capacity than might have been the case otherwise. It could also expand group usage, which is something that WhatsApp has desired for quite a long time.
As for the second feature that many are predicting in an upcoming update for WhatsApp, it focuses more on Status Updates. Users will now be able to report Status Updates if they violate WhatsApp’s terms of usage, similar to what they can already do with messages that they receive through the app.
This could potentially improve the quality of content on WhatsApp statuses. They are WhatsApp’s answer to Snapchat Stories, but they have not been all that successful yet due to their odd placement. This feature suggests that WhatsApp is not willing to give up on them.
Read next: WhatsApp Might Start Allowing You to Edit Messages After Sending
With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that WhatsApp users might be able to schedule group calls at some point, as per WBI. Emphasizing groups was a big part of WhatsApp’s strategy these past few years, similar to what Facebook has been doing with Facebook groups.
Beta testers that saw this feature said that it can be accessed by tapping on the phone icon that is on the upper right corner of the screen. If you are tapping the icon in a group, you will see a drop down menu that will give you two options. The first will let you call the group immediately, whereas the second will bring up another menu that’ll allow them to set a time and a date for a group call.
This will make it a lot easier for groups to function in a professional capacity than might have been the case otherwise. It could also expand group usage, which is something that WhatsApp has desired for quite a long time.
As for the second feature that many are predicting in an upcoming update for WhatsApp, it focuses more on Status Updates. Users will now be able to report Status Updates if they violate WhatsApp’s terms of usage, similar to what they can already do with messages that they receive through the app.
This could potentially improve the quality of content on WhatsApp statuses. They are WhatsApp’s answer to Snapchat Stories, but they have not been all that successful yet due to their odd placement. This feature suggests that WhatsApp is not willing to give up on them.
Read next: WhatsApp Might Start Allowing You to Edit Messages After Sending
