WhatsApp update to bring new features, chat themes, AI labels and more controls for users
New themes could transform chats
The upcoming WhatsApp chat themes feature is being tested on Android and could give users more ways to personalize their conversations.
The new system is expected to include three categories: Featured, Doodle and Minimal. The Featured section may include WhatsApp animated wallpapers, while Doodle will use the platform’s familiar background designs.
The Minimal option will focus on simple light and dark styles. The app is also expected to automatically adjust chat bubble colors to match the selected theme.
The WhatsApp Android features are still under development, so they may not be available to all beta testers immediately.
More control coming to Mac
WhatsApp is also testing new update options for its Mac application. These WhatsApp new features could allow beta testers to choose between the latest version and a more stable weekly build.
The latest version would provide access to new tools faster but could contain occasional bugs. The stable weekly option would focus more on reliability.
The planned WhatsApp Mac updates could therefore give users greater control over how they receive new versions of the app.
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Changes coming to Channels
WhatsApp is also preparing changes for its Channels platform. The company is working on an alert for iOS users explaining that newly followed channels are muted by default.
Users could then choose whether they want to receive notifications for new channel updates.
These WhatsApp Channels changes could help users avoid missing posts from channels they have chosen to follow.
The company is also developing WhatsApp AI labels for channel content. Administrators could manually identify posts that have been created using artificial intelligence.
AI content may become clearer
The planned WhatsApp AI labels could make it easier for users to understand whether a channel update was created with AI.
The feature may also help administrators meet regulations in regions where AI-generated content must be disclosed.
The addition of WhatsApp AI labels comes as more platforms are introducing ways to identify artificially generated content.
New parental controls section
WhatsApp is also working on a dedicated section for WhatsApp parental controls inside its settings.
The company introduced parental controls earlier this year to help parents manage a child’s account while keeping private messages protected.
The new section could make WhatsApp parental controls easier to find and set up. Parents may also be able to link their account with their child’s account through the dedicated section.
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What users can expect
The planned WhatsApp Android features include the new theme options and animated backgrounds. Meanwhile, WhatsApp Mac updates could offer more flexibility to beta testers.
The combination of WhatsApp chat themes and WhatsApp animated wallpapers could give users greater freedom to change the appearance of their conversations.
The latest WhatsApp Channels changes, along with WhatsApp parental controls, show that the company is also focusing on content management and family safety.
