WhatsApp users are getting an important new feature that’s essential for finding old messages
WHATSAPP users have been given a new way to find old messages, so you can always find what you need, when you need it.
This is especially useful for users who have old group chats where it takes too long to scroll through years of messages.
Meta’s messenger has added a feature that allows users to search for messages by date.
Using a calendar, users can easily choose a date and proceed to all messages sent from that date.
According to Meta, it’s ideal for revisiting a message that made you laugh, or double-checking when you’ve sent information to someone.
It is also compatible with media, links and documents in your chats.
So if you want to find an old photo, just click on a chat, tap the contact or group name at the top and click ‘Search’ to choose which date you want to go to.
The feature is already available on iOS, Mac desktop and WhatsApp Web.
But it’s now rolling out to Android devices this week.
You may need to update your app to use it.
Review of third party chats
The new feature comes ahead of a major shake-up that will enable other messaging networks within WhatsApp later this month.
Thanks to new laws laid out in the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), WhatsApp users should see a new inbox option appear on their app sometime in March.
Within the DMA there is a series of new laws that technology companies will have to comply with in order to continue operating in the bloc.
One of these new laws means that tech apps, such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, owned by Meta, cannot be ‘gatekeeper services’.
So-called ‘gatekeeper services’ are apps that can only be used together with other people using the same app.
Therefore, under the new rules, apps must be interoperable with other messaging apps.
This applies to all messenger apps, including iMessage, Telegram, Google Messages, and Signal.
In practice, a WhatsApp user will be able to send a text message to a Facebook Messenger user – and vice versa – without having to use the other app.
It is done on an opt-in basis and messages appear in a separate inbox.
While there are concerns, this could put users at greater risk of scams.
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