WhatsApp for Android may get a new in-app dialer in the Calls tab
WhatsApp is reportedly working on several new features for the Android platform. According to a feature tracker, one of the features introduced in the latest WhatsApp for Android beta app update is a new in-app dialer. The feature is speculated to make WhatsApp calling more convenient by allowing users to make calls directly from within the app, without having to switch to the system dialer and save the contact on the Android smartphone.
WhatsApp’s in-app dialer
According to function tracker WABetaInfo, the new in-app dialer, can appear as a floating action button (FAB) in the To call to action tab. This allows users to make WhatsApp calls even to numbers that are not saved on the smartphone. This feature is said to have been spotted in the WhatsApp for Android beta app version Android 2.24.13.17.
In-app dialer on WhatsApp
Photo credit: WABetaInfo
In addition to calling, users can save the dialer’s contact to the smartphone’s address book, either as a new contact or as an addition to an existing contact. Furthermore, there would also be a messaging option for those who initially wanted to call someone but changed their mind and now want to send them a WhatsApp message.
It is speculated that it will also bring the functionality to check if a particular number is registered on WhatsApp. The feature tracker suggested that the new in-app dialer will be available to select users who have enrolled in the Google Play Beta program as beta testers of the WhatsApp for Android app.
Gadgets 360 staff were unable to test the availability of this feature.
New stickers
WhatsApp is also said to have introduced new, more dynamic stickers, according to a report. These stickers are said to offer smoother motion, thanks to the newly supported Lottie framework. It is said to allow for the development of more dynamic animations, built on motion graphic design software like Adobe After Effects, for native rendering on mobile devices.
The first sticker pack to officially support this new framework is “I’m Just a Girl”, developed by BUCK, which is 228 KB in size. This feature is rolling out to WhatsApp for Android and iOS users.
