Surprise WhatsApp update changes your group chats forever – but do you like it?
WHATSAPP is working on a small but very useful change to group chats.
Details of the surprising update have been revealed online – and it should make it easier to see who's talking in a chat.
That's because WhatsApp is developing a feature that adds profile pictures to each message.
So when a text is sent in a group chat, it will have the sender's profile picture next to it.
The feature is currently "under development", and was spotted by the WhatsApp investigators at WABetaInfo.
They mine the WhatsApp beta test app to uncover interesting changes.
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WhatsApp is expected to add the feature to the iPhone, Android and desktop versions of the app.
"The profile photo of group members will show up when receiving a message in a group," WABetaInfo explained.
"In case the group member doesn’t have a profile picture or it’s not available due to their privacy settings, the default profile icon will show up and it will be tinted by using the same color as the contact name.
"It is simply a cosmetic addition but it may be useful to immediately recognize who sent the message in case there are duplicated contact names or the phone number is not saved in the address book."
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Sadly it's unclear exactly when this new feature will roll out to the general public.
If you want to try the latest WhatsApp features first, follow our guide to joining the beta below.
How to get WhatsApp beta
To download WhatsApp beta for your smartphone you need to go to Google Play on your Android and search for WhatsApp.
Scroll down the page until you see "Become a Beta Tester".
Tap the "I'm In" button and then click "Join" to confirm.
Now all you have to do is wait for the update to the beta version of the app.
Read more on WhatsApp
Joining the WhatsApp beta on iOS is more difficult, and has limited capacity.
Follow Apple’s guide here.
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