WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.9.14: what’s new?
WhatsApp is rolling out a new update through the Google Play Beta Program, bringing the version up to 2.24.9.14.
What’s new in this update? WhatsApp is rolling out a feature to list recent online contacts, and it’s available to some beta testers!
| Common questions | Answers |
|---|---|
| Name of the feature? | Recently online |
| Status? | Rolling out |
| Compatibility? | WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.9.14 is marked as a compatible update, but some beta testers may experiment with the same feature by installing the previous 2.24.9.12 update. |
| I’ve installed this update but I don’t have this feature. Why? | This feature is available to some beta testers, and it is rolling out to more users over the coming weeks. |
| Thanks: | Akan, Siraj Ahamad, les_specta, Erik Sevilla, and ShuhaibNC, for testing and reporting. |
| Previous news? | WhatsApp is rolling out a redesigned sidebar interface for the web client! |
RECENTLY ONLINE
In the article about the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.9.5 update, we announced that WhatsApp was rolling out a feature to suggest contacts to chat with. This feature was designed to provide users with a tool for receiving contact recommendations from their address book, particularly those with whom the user has never interacted before to facilitate new connections. It appears that WhatsApp aims to further improve this feature by presenting certain suggestions even within the contacts list. Thanks to the latest WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.9.14 update, which is available on the Google Play Store, we discovered that WhatsApp is rolling out a feature to list recent online contacts!
As you can see in this screenshot, a new section to list recent online contacts is available within the contacts list to some beta testers. While this feature doesn’t provide a comprehensive online list of all contacts, it effectively simulates such functionality by displaying a limited number of recent active contacts, particularly when attempting to select contacts to place a call with. Despite only displaying a subset of contacts, this section still provides users with valuable insights into who among their contacts is currently online or has been active recently to help them determine who might be available for a call.
In our opinion, this feature adds a layer of convenience to the messaging experience by eliminating the need for users to manually check the activity status of multiple contacts. By prompting users to connect with contacts who have been active, WhatsApp also facilitates enhanced and more timely communication to reach out to those who are currently available, specially for initiating a new call, optimizing their communication experience. It’s important to note that this feature prioritizes user privacy, as contacts who have disabled their last seen and online will still have this information hidden from this list, ensuring that user preferences regarding privacy are always respected.
The feature to list recent online contacts is available to some beta testers that install the latest updates of WhatsApp beta for Android from the Google Play Store, and it is rolling out to even more people over the coming weeks.
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