Popular messaging app WhatsApp is set to roll out a radical new feature which will effectively eliminate the emerging challenge of forgetting to reply to certain text messages.
In today's fast-paced digital landscape, WhatsApp has become a critical platform for personal and professional communication, making it easy to lose track of important conversations. This is, however, set to change thanks to a new message reminders feature.
The feature is designed to help users remember specific messages which do not necessarily require an immediate response at a particular point in time. The tool essentially offers a built-in solution to a common but painful experience for millions of WhatsApp users.
While the message reminder feature is yet to be fully integrated, it is currently being tested with a limited number of iOS users. It does not require the use of the beta version of the app, suggesting that WhatsApp has resorted to a gradual rollout strategy.
In terms of its functionality, the reminder system is quite straightforward. Users can long-press on a specific message and access an action menu from which they can select the reminder option.
Once set, the reminder will trigger a notification at the chosen time, which is quite similar to how a calendar or alarm reminder works.
WABetaInfo further reports that when a reminder is set, a small bell icon appears on the message bubble, indicating that a notification has been scheduled. Once the time arrives, WhatsApp will send a notification containing the full text of the original message, along with any attached media previews and information about the chat.
WhatsApp has emphasised that all reminders are processed locally on the user's device, such that there is complete privacy. Neither other participants in the chat nor WhatsApp itself will have access to the reminder data.
To prevent clutter within the app, reminders are automatically cleared once the notification has been delivered. With this design, it is easier to maintain a streamlined and efficient user interface.
Heavy users of WhatsApp are set to reap heavily from this feature as it offers a practical way to manage follow-ups, tasks and time-sensitive information without needing to leave the app or resort to third-party tools.
The latest update comes just weeks after a new feature called Guest Chats was also rolled out by the app. The feature will enable one-on-one chats between WhatsApp users and non-users through a special invitation link. Once the link is sent, the invited person will not be required to download WhatsApp or create an account.
Instead, the user can simply open the link in a web browser and start chatting with the other party. Notably, the function will have similarities to WhatsApp Web, which aims to streamline users' experience.
The new feature, despite not officially rolling out, has been spotted in the Android beta version 2.25.22.13, which is a strong indicator of a public rollout in the near future. WhatsApp is, however, yet to announce the official release date.
