WhatsApp continues to roll out important updates. Last year, the introduction of Communities brought polls and other new features, enabling the app to reach a wider audience in a shorter time, solidifying its position as the queen of instant messaging. We previously explained what could be done with Communities.
However, the arrival of Communities also meant opening our inbox and phone number to chats and calls from people we hardly know, including spam messages and calls.
According to WABetaInfo, a feature that will allow users to block spam calls on the app will soon be introduced, but this is not the only significant update that has been announced. A dual panel for tablets, which will give their interfaces a look similar to WhatsApp for PC, was recently revealed through the same source in one of the latest betas.
Here are the details on the two latest WhatsApp updates:
Silencing Spam Calls on WhatsApp
We know what this function will look like. As seen in the image, there will be a control that will automatically mute any unknown caller who is part of the aforementioned Communities (or any other number not in our contacts).
However, silenced calls will still appear as received in the corresponding list so that you can at least see which numbers attempted to contact you.
According to the source, this feature is in development, but it seems to be a viable solution to WhatsApp spam problems. When it will be available to all users remains unknown, but it will likely have to go through some public testing phases first.
Dual Panel for WhatsApp on Tablets
The dual panel for tablet versions is currently in beta testing. According to the source, it will take some time before the function is deployed to all users. However, this is something that we have already seen in Telegram for a long time, and WhatsApp seems to be lagging behind Pavel Durov’s app.
Now, WhatsApp for tablets appears on a split screen between open chats and conversation windows, similar to how Telegram does it on tablets and very similar to how WhatsApp does it on its PC solutions. The introduction of this dual panel is a significant quality of life improvement for users and should appear as soon as you install the new beta from the Play Store.
In summary, WhatsApp’s new features aim to improve user experience by addressing spam issues and enhancing the tablet interface. Although the exact release dates are unknown, users can look forward to these updates in the near future.