WhatsApp, one of the most widely used messaging platforms globally, regularly updates its features to keep users engaged.
Recently, a colorless top bar was introduced in the beta version, alongside the rollout of a swipeable navigation bar for all users. Now, another design alteration is being noticed.
Many WhatsApp users have observed a change in the indicators that signal if someone is online or typing. These indicators now display as "Online" and "Typing," a modification that has garnered attention, including from Rebecca Franks, a Senior Android Developer Relations Engineer at Google, who highlighted it on X/Twitter.
Initial responses suggest that many users are unhappy with this change, though it hasn't been officially confirmed by WhatsApp yet.
Currently, not all devices exhibit these capitalized indicators uniformly. While some devices show lowercase indicators, others display capitals for both typing and online statuses.
However, based on user reports, it's anticipated that this change will roll out widely in the next few weeks, unless WhatsApp decides otherwise due to negative feedback.
Looking ahead, WhatsApp is expected to introduce a new feature allowing users to attach notes to their contacts in the coming weeks. Discovered during testing of Android's WhatsApp beta version 2.24.9.12 by the WABetaInfo team, this feature enables users to write notes about a contact below the Audio, Video, and Search options on the chat details screen.
Although the term "customer" suggests a commercial application, regular users can also utilize this feature for personal notes. It's worth noting that this note-taking functionality is still in its early stages, and not all beta testers have access to it yet, according to WABetaInfo.
