WhatsApp’s upcoming chatbot will tell you what’s new when you update
WhatsApp is almost always adding new features to the instant messaging app, and the latest addition will one day make it easier to understand what is new on the service. A new feature currently in development will introduce you to an official WhatsApp account within the app, and it’ll message you when new features land.
As spotted byWABetaInfo, the new feature is in the early stages of development, so you probably won’t see this land on your phone anytime soon. The report includes a screenshot of how the chat will appear from the verified chatbot. A notification when you open the chat says it’ll provide information about new features, tips and tricks for WhatsApp, and information about privacy and safety.
Unlike business accounts on WhatsApp, you won’t be able to reply to any of these messages. This is a read-only account, so it’s much more of a notification system through WhatsApp to inform you about new features and any updates to the service. All the messages will be end-to-end encrypted, but that’s unlikely to be a big deal as these messages that many people will receive. If you need WhatsApp support, you’ll have tocontact the company through other means.
When the feature rolls out, you’ll be messaged directly from the company with a similar view to what you see in the screenshot above. If you don’t want this conversation to appear in your feed, you’ll be able to block the chat from messaging you in the future. This chatbot is similar to features withinrival messaging apps Telegram and Signal, where each uses an official channel to update you on new releases.
The feature is under development now, so we don’t know when this will start appearing for you in the app. It’ll likely be a little while before this arrives. In the meantime, some users have begun receivingrevamped rich link previewsin their WhatsApp applications in the last few days.
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