WhatsApp Begins Listing Common Groups in Contact Search Results for Some Beta Testers: Report

WhatsApp has begun testing a feature on the latest beta version of the popular messaging app for Android that will display common groups when searching for a contact on WhatsApp. The change to the application's search feature will allow users to quickly find a group with an obscure title or if its name is in a different language. Meanwhile, the Meta-owned messaging service is also redesigning the attachment picker menu on the Android application. However, unlike the revamped search feature, the new attachment picker design is still in development.

According to details shared by WhatsApp feature tracker WABetaInfo, some beta testers who have updated to the latest WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.6.20 and WhatsApp beta for iOS 23.5.0.75 updates are now being shown a Groups in common section when using the search bar to look for a contact.

While the updated search functionality is similar to the one that was previously introduced on WhatsApp Desktop, not all beta testers on Android and iOS — Gadgets 360 staff members included — currently have access to the feature.

The improved search interface on WhatsApp could come in handy when searching for a group with an obscure name, or if the group name is in a different script than the default typing language. Searching for a group member would quickly surface that conversation in the results, according to the feature tracker.

Meanwhile, the feature tracker has also spotted a redesigned chat attachment picker in development on the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.6.17 update. The new picker for attachments has a cleaner design compared to the current layout.

WhatsApp may also eventually allow users to limit polls to a single choice — users can currently pick multiple choices in polls on WhatsApp. Unlike the redesigned search feature, these two features are still in development and are yet to make their way to beta testers, according to the feature tracker.