WhatsApp is rolling out a new update for the Windows native app through the official beta channel on the Microsoft Store, bringing the version up to 2.2342.6.0.
What’s new in this update? WhatsApp is rolling out a feature to open chats with unknown phone numbers, and it’s available to some beta testers!
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OPEN WHATSAPP
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In July, we posted an article regarding a new feature available in the latest versions of WhatsApp for iOS and Android: the ability to open chats with unknown phone numbers. Thanks to this feature, it’s possible to open a chat with an unknown contact without adding the phone number to the address book, making it easier for users to initiate conversations and exchange messages with people they may have just met or received a contact from. After installing the latest WhatsApp beta for Windows 2.2342.6.0 update from the Microsoft Store, some beta testers may now experiment with this feature:
As you can see in this screenshot, WhatsApp introduced a new screen where it’s possible to enter the phone number so you can quickly start a chat with someone not in your contacts. If you want to check out if this feature is available to your WhatsApp account, just open the “New chat” screen and you should find a new entry point called “Phone number”. It’s important to note that you can keep searching for phone numbers by entering them in the search bar within the “New chat” screen, and this was already implemented in a previous update.
In our opinion, this feature is a significant step forward in providing users with an accessible option for quickly initiating conversations with unknown contacts, as it eliminates the need to clutter your address book with unverified or temporary phone numbers. In addition, we think that it also offers a more private messaging experience as current privacy settings also apply to the unknown contact since adding it to the address book would have automatically included the new phone number to the privacy settings.
The feature to open chats with unknown phone numbers is available to some beta testers who install the latest WhatsApp beta for Windows update released on the Microsoft Store. If you don’t see this update on the Microsoft Store, please note that it will be rolled out to more users over the coming days.
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