According to the feature tracker, WhatsApp for Android is about to roll out a new feature that will allow users to mention others in their status updates. The status update mention feature is said to be private, so only the uploader and the mentioned user can see it. The feature is said to function similarly to Instagram Stories, where the mentioned user gets notified about the status update. Notably, the instant messaging platform is also reportedly working on a Meta AI voice mode feature.
WhatsApp status update mentions
According to a post by WhatsApp feature tracker WABetaInfo, the feature was spotted in the beta version of WhatsApp Android 2.24.20.3 update. The feature is not visible at the moment, so users who have signed up for the Google Beta program will not be able to test it.
WhatsApp status update mentions
Image source: WABetaInfo
According to the screenshots shared by the feature tracker, the new option only affects the status update process. Currently, the feature does not allow users to tag others. However, it is said that with this update, users will be able to tag saved contacts. The screenshots refer to the feature as “Mentions.”
The mention icon (represented by an “@”) can be seen on the text field before the send button. Another screenshot shared details of the feature and stated that the user who is mentioned will receive a message highlighting that they have been mentioned. They are also said to receive a notification about this. Once mentioned, users can view the status and re-share it.
After updating the status, the name of the mentioned user will appear below the user’s name. However, since the feature is private, only the user and the individual mentioned can see it. This way, users can privately mention the person they want to show their status to without letting others know.
Separately, WhatsApp is also reportedly working on the Meta AI Voice Mode feature. The feature is a two-way voice communication mode with artificial intelligence (AI) and is said to have multiple voice options. Some of them are said to have American accents, while others may have British accents. Additionally, the report claims that Meta will also add voices of some public figures, although the names were not revealed.
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