WhatsApp is working on several new features for its mobile and desktop apps. The latest additions have been reported by WABetaInfo, which regularly reveals features available in Beta versions of the messaging platform’s apps or those still under development.

For users of the WhatsApp for iOS beta, two changes rolled out this past week.

The first is the ability to pause and resume voice recordings, a feature that was previously only under development.

The feature could be useful if you are interrupted while trying to record a voice note or need to do something else but don’t want to start recording the voice note from the start.

The second change relates to how WhatsApp Business accounts behave on the platform.

For specific users on the iOS beta, these accounts will now be presented in the same way as personal accounts if they don’t have them in their contact list.

When users receive a message from an unknown business account, they will be presented with two options on a bar at the bottom of the message feed — “Block” or “Add to contacts”.

On the Android beta, WhatsApp has only made a few minor tweaks.

There is a new video call shortcut within the status section of the app, allowing you to call a contact as you are watching their status.

In addition, a new default group icon that shows two people instead of the regular three.

WABetaInfo believes this change may be in anticipation of the rollout of WhatsApp’s new Communities Groups.

This will let group admins create several dedicated channels under an overarching group chat.

The new icon will likely be to help distinguish between the current group type and a Communities group.

Lastly, WABetaInfo reports that WhatsApp is developing new apps for the Universal Windows Platform (UWP) and MacOS.

The UWP version of the app supports WhatsApp’s new multi-device functionality, which means your phone does not have to be connected to the Internet while you are using it.

WhatsApp will enable the new MacOS app through MacOS Catalyst’s support for iPad apps in a future update.–mybroadband.co.za