WhatsApp for Android may be testing a new feature that will allow users to mark all chats as read at once with a new shortcut, according to claims from a feature tracker. The functionality was spotted in a beta version of the app, but may not be available to users yet. It is speculated to work similarly to the “mark as read” feature on the iOS version of the app, which changes the status from unread to read. The development builds on other features for the instant messaging service that are reportedly in development, including the ability to clear the number of unread messages.
WhatsApp Mark All Read Feature
According to According to WhatsApp feature tracker WABetaInfo, the messaging client is developing the feature as a new tool for better chat management. It was spotted in the WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.24.18.11. After the rollout, users may have the ability to clear their unread messages by marking all received messages as ‘read’.
Shortcut to mark chats as ‘Read’ on WhatsApp
Photo credit: WABetaInfo
According to the screenshot shared by the feature tracker, it appears in the overflow menu accessible at the top-right corner of the screen below the Messages with stars option. While the option to mark all messages as read is already available on WhatsApp for Android, it requires several steps like selecting all the messages and then tapping the mark as read option. Its rollout may allow for faster access to the option.
WABetaInfo claims that the new shortcut is still in development and may not be available even to beta testers who have registered through the Google Play Beta program. It could be introduced with a future update to that app. It is crucial to note, however, that while developers test many features in beta, not all features make their way to the public rollout phase.
Other new WhatsApp features
In addition to the shortcut mentioned above, WhatsApp is also reportedly developing other new features. One of the recently reported features is said to bring AR capabilities to the platform for video calling. It is speculated that it will allow users to adjust environmental factors such as lighting conditions and background in video calls. Additionally, it will also include a special light mode and touch-up filters that claim to adjust the appearance in real-time.
