WhatsApp tests button to make searching old messages easier

WhatsApp is rolling out an interesting new update that users are likely to appreciate. The new feature has appeared in the latest beta version of WhatsApp for Android devices and will completely change the way users respond to media files. According to a report by WABetaInfo, WhatsApp introduced the ability to reply to or react to photos and videos in 2024. However, until now, users have had to exit the full-screen media viewer after viewing a photo or video in order to reply or add a reaction. Now, two years later, WhatsApp is redesigning the media viewer completely and adding a new bar to the full-screen media viewer. The company has introduced the redesigned media viewer interface to a limited number of beta testers. With the new interface, a complete response bar will appear directly on the preview screen. It will display two default emojis while the full range of reaction emojis can be accessed with a single tap. Users will also be able to access the emoji keyboard by tapping the “+” button. Similarly, a complete chat bar will appear at the bottom of the media viewer. This will allow users to type text replies, attach photos or videos, record voice messages or send other types of content without leaving the media viewer. As mentioned above, the feature has currently been introduced in the beta version so it is difficult to say exactly when it will become available to all WhatsApp users.

YouTube is the world’s most popular video-sharing service watched by billions of people every day. The YouTube app is widely used on smartphones but some users will soon no longer be able to use it on their devices. Google is ending YouTube app support and access for smartphones running the Android 6 operating system. After the end of July 2026, Android 7 or later will be required to watch YouTube through the app on Android phones. It is important to note that YouTube will not suddenly stop working on affected phones nor will all data be deleted. Instead, phones running Android 6 will gradually begin experiencing problems. When users open the app, they may see a message saying “Switch to YouTube” after which they will be redirected to the mobile YouTube website through their phone’s browser. The main reason for this change is that YouTube is constantly being updated while new features may not work properly on older operating systems. For this reason, Google is ending YouTube support for Android 6 smartphones. If you are using an older Android phone and lose access to the YouTube app, you can still watch YouTube through its website using a browser. Another solution is to switch to a newer smartphone that supports the YouTube app.

WhatsApp has introduced several new features for group chats to make the overall user experience more convenient and efficient. Meta has added a total of three new features to WhatsApp. According to a statement issued by the company, these features are designed to simplify various aspects of group chats. Creating a new group has also been made easier. Smart poll features WhatsApp has updated its polling feature with new tools to make decision-making within groups easier. Users can now set an expiry time allowing polls to automatically close at a selected time. For greater privacy, users will also be able to hide voters identities. In addition, polls can be edited within 15 minutes of being posted. Creating new groups is now easier The messaging platform has also introduced a “Create a Similar Group” option. This feature allows users to create a new group with a single click using the chat and members of an existing group. Group mentions One of the major new features for WhatsApp groups is the @all mention feature which allows users to notify all group members simultaneously. This means there will no longer be a need to tag each person individually. The tool is designed to help users quickly inform everyone in a group about an urgent announcement or important matter. However, if a group has more than 32 members, only administrators will be able to use the @all feature. Users will also have the option to mute @all notifications.

WhatsApp is developing a new feature that will remind users of their contacts birthdays similar to the birthday reminders available on Facebook. According to a report by WABetaInfo, the birthday reminder feature is currently being tested in the beta version of WhatsApp for Android. The feature is designed to help users keep track of the birthdays of their friends and family directly within WhatsApp eliminating the need to rely on separate calendar applications. Under the new feature, users will receive notifications when one of their saved contacts has a birthday. The notification will allow users to open the chat instantly and send birthday wishes directly through WhatsApp. The report also revealed that WhatsApp is working on a dedicated “Birthdays” section within the app. This page will display the birthdays of saved contacts in one place making it easier for users to view and manage important dates. According to the report, the birthday reminder will only work if a contact has added their date of birth to their WhatsApp profile. If a friend or family member has not provided their birthday information in WhatsApp, no birthday reminder will be available for that contact. WABetaInfo added that the feature is still under development and additional changes or improvements may be introduced before its public release.

YouTube has introduced a new feature that users have been requesting for a long time. The platform has launched new tools that make it easier for creators to edit and customize the thumbnails of their videos. However, the feature is currently available only to users who are part of the YouTube Partner Program those who earn money from their videos. Eligible creators can now upload custom thumbnail images for their YouTube Shorts. This will allow their short videos to attract more viewers by displaying more eye-catching thumbnails. Creators will also be able to change the thumbnails of their previously uploaded Shorts by using YouTube Studio on a desktop or laptop computer. According to YouTube, the feature will be expanded to more users in the near future. On desktop, creators will be able to choose one of three suggested video frames as the thumbnail. This option has long been available for regular videos and is now being extended to Shorts. On the mobile app, users will continue to be able to select any frame from the video as the thumbnail. YouTube also said that the suggested thumbnails will be generated based on the video’s theme and overall style.