Photo Credit: WABetaInfo
WhatsApp for Android beta 2.19.116 has been released, and its teardown has reportedly revealed a new feature in development. The instant messaging app is working on a separate Emoji category for the Doodle Picker section. The feature is reportedly disabled by default, so you won't see it even if you are on the latest beta version. The category lets you choose from the slew of emojis available on WhatsApp to stick on to your status before posting it and it also splits it from the stickers that you will also be able to access via the Doodle Picker in a separate category.
WhatsApp is working on these separate Emojis and Stickers categories for easy discovery, as there is no bifurcation in the stable app for now. The Doodle Picker can be found in the Status Bar. Once you click a picture or add a photo to the Status Bar, WhatsApp throws in a bunch of editing tools you can use before you hit publish. The smiley icon at the top is the Doodle Picker. The Doodle Picker currently, in its stable state, has a bunch of options that include stickers and emojis as well.
However, after digging into Android beta 2.19.116, WABetaInfo has discovered that the Doodle Picker is set to become more organised and expansive, with a separate section for stickers and emojis. This feature hasn't been enabled yet, as mentioned above, but it should be enabled in the near future.
The tracker also found that the Archived Chats option was moved back to the bottom, after testing it in the main menu for a brief period. There's little clarity on why WhatsApp took this step, or exactly when the Emoji category will be enabled.
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