WhatsApp beta for iOS 2.19.80.16: what’s new?

WhatsApp has recently submitted a new update through the TestFlight Beta Program, bringing the version up to 2.19.80.16.
I always recommend to back up your chat history before updating to the new beta: if there is something wrong with the update, your messages are safe on iCloud and you can downgrade to the precedent version from TestFlight or App Store.
Let’s find out together what is new ..

• All features and changes listed in this article will be available in the next version on the App Store, the 2.19.80 official update.
• If you want to join the WhatsApp Messenger beta program on TestFlight, you can consider to join my Discord Server, in order to receive push notifications when a beta access is available (if the beta program is currently closed), or check out my TestFlight page every day.
• If you are curious to join other beta programs (including WhatsApp Business), you can visit my TestFlight page: a great collection of a lot of beta links.

WhatsApp has removed the possibility to copy, save and export the profile picture of your contacts in the 2.19.60 update.
Recently, a follower has reported that it was still possible to save profile pictures using 3D Touch shortcuts:

[tweet https://twitter.com/WABetaInfo/status/1151573240810299397]

Well. After this tweet, WhatsApp has removed those 3D Touch shortcuts.
We don’t know the reasons why WhatsApp cares so much to remove the possibility to save them, but it seems so..

WhatsApp now notifies when there are issues to download messages using a pinned alert in your chats, suggesting to update the app:

I’ve previously reported a new Quick Media Edit, on both iOS and Android platforms.
In the 2.19.80.16 it’s now available for testers:

WhatsApp has finally completed the roll out of the feature for any iOS beta user, having 2.19.70.26 beta installed (or newer) or 2.19.70 update from the App Store.

UPDATE: IT’S NO LONGER A RUMOR. IT’S CONFIRMED!

Actually I know a lot of features under development, but I’m not used to publish them without screenshots that prove what I say.
In these years I’ve published some rumors that they turned out to be real.
The first one was about the Facebook Infrastructure (and it was real after some weeks — you know that when Facebook / Instagram have issues, WhatsApp experiences outages too):
[tweet https://twitter.com/WABetaInfo/status/867417444209623040]

I’ve discovered the WhatsApp Business app when it wasn’t available publicly:
[tweet https://twitter.com/WABetaInfo/status/857782667865202688]

I’ve published a tweet talking about WhatsApp to be installed on tablet (natively from the Play Store):
[tweet https://twitter.com/WABetaInfo/status/958423067725877248]

I’ve published an announcement to talk about WhatsApp for KaiOS, when it wasn’t available yet:
[tweet https://twitter.com/WABetaInfo/status/976434047915380736]

I’ve confirmed that WhatsApp is working on UWP (no screenshots to publish but it’s real):
[tweet https://twitter.com/WABetaInfo/status/1125852891997143040]

I’ve also spotted the WhatsApp for iPad app, under development.

Today I’m ready to launch a new rumor, and personally I think that’s a surprising news: in these months, WhatsApp is developing a new system to allow to use the same WhatsApp account on more devices, at the same time!

Using the new multi platform system, it means you will be able to use:

• your main WhatsApp account on iPad (when the app will be available) without uninstalling it from your iPhone.
• the same WhatsApp account also on iOS and Android devices (or on devices having the same OS).
• WhatsApp on your computer (without the necessity for an Internet connection on your phone) using the UWP app (this is one of the reasons why started to develop it).
  It will be obviously possible to use the same account on Windows Phone (using UWP) and WhatsApp for Windows (always the UWP version).

WhatsApp Web can be used, for example, when you are using another different PC where the UWP WhatsApp app is not installed, and it will still require an Internet Connection.
If you hate to keep your phone connected to the Internet (or your battery died), you can use the UWP app on your computer (on Windows obviously, on Mac OS actually I have no news, so WhatsApp Web is the only possible option).

This new system is currently under development and there is no ETA.
Messages should be still saved on your phone, but synced from the apps probably.
With the new system, WhatsApp is also improving their end-to-end encryption, because probably something needs to be changed, seen that the messages must be sent to more devices (unfortunately there aren’t a lot of details available right now, but I’m sure they are going to modify something about that).

As I said I have nothing to show you right now, and I don’t like to talk about new features when I have no screenshots, but everything I’ve discovered in these months leads me to that conclusion.
Seen that I have no screenshots, I prefer to mark this news as rumor at the moment, but you can see all my old rumors turned out to be real. Let’s hope for this too!

Note that this is also the reason why WhatsApp for iPad was not released yet, even though it’s ready. WhatsApp wants to give to the user the possibility to use the same phone number on iPad and main device.
This also explains why there is no important news in these months, because WhatsApp is developing the new multi platform system feature, maybe available in a major update?

[tweet https://twitter.com/WABetaInfo/status/1151657877402279936]

When there are details about the new system, I’m going to publish them. And again: this is a rumor!

As announced on Twitter, WhatsApp is working to implement voice messages preview in push notifications:

[tweet https://twitter.com/WABetaInfo/status/1151663035494404096]

The feature is not available yet and it will be enabled in future.

Futhermore, WhatsApp Business beta for iOS 2.19.80.5 is also available on TestFlight and you are able now to send quick replies with media attachment!

Let us know on Twitter if you like these features and read our next announcements on our Telegram Channel!
WABetaInfo has a Discord Server about WhatsApp, where you can chat, give advice, ask help to other participants and read my announcements!