The Google Play store listing notes other changes such as per chat custom notification settings and mute; mark chats as unread or read, and new emoji with option to choose a different colour by tapping and holding on an emoji. The listing also adds that now WhatsApp for Android will allow users when receiving a contact card to quickly message or save the contact if on WhatsApp. The update also brings reduced data usage used during WhatsApp calls. Another notable addition in the update is it brings rich preview feature in chats that generate a preview for a shared link. The rich preview feature was first tipped in October.
(Also see: Why Using WhatsApp for Work Is a Terrible Idea)
It's worth noting that majority of the features listed under WhatsApp's Google Play listing were rolled out in bits and pieces previously via builds available on the company site. Some of the features such as custom notifications settings for individual contacts or groups, mark as unread feature for chats, and low data usage option for WhatsApp calls were initially rolled out back in August.
Earlier this month, WhatsApp for Android received the new Starred Messages feature that allowed users to quickly access bookmarked messages including images, videos, or other content quickly. The Starred Messages bookmarking feature could be used via tapping and holding a message, apart from media content. The message would then be saved in a separate new Starred Messages tab. Once a message is starred, the star icon appears next to the message.
Catch the latest from the Consumer Electronics Show on Gadgets 360, at our CES 2026 hub.