WhatsApp Launches Android Beta Testing Program on Google Play

Advertisement
By Ketan Pratap | Updated: 24 February 2016 17:47 IST
WhatsApp for years has been releasing new version of the app via its website as well as signed APK files before the release hits the Google Play store. This allowed WhatsApp to make required changes as well as fix bugs, if any, in the app ahead of a broader availability. One of the biggest disadvantages of the process was the new WhatsApp version only reached limited users who checked website and were devoted enough to download the release from an "untrusted source."

The Facebook-owned company has launched official beta testing program through Google Play to expand the availability of app to more testers. Android Police reports that the official Android beta testing program of WhatsApp doesn't require any user to join any Google+ community or Groups in order to participate in testing. This will not only help WhatsApp in rolling out updates to testers automatically but will also reduce the additional work to download a new version from the company site or APK hosting site.

The official WhatsApp testing page requires users to sign in via their Google accounts. On opening the page, a message shows up saying, "WhatsApp Inc. has invited you to a testing programme for an unreleased version of the WhatsApp Messenger app." WhatsApp also warns users that considering WhatsApp Messenger app is a testing version it may be "unstable or have a few bugs."

Advertisement

A WhatsApp spokesperson confirmed the program to TechCrunch but declined to share additional details.

Earlier this month, the messaging service WhatsApp announced that it now had 1 billion monthly active users. The company added that it handled 42 billion messages sent per day, 1.6 billion photos shared per day, 1 billion total groups, and 250 million videos shared per day.

 

Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.

Further reading: Android, Apps, Facebook, WhatsApp
Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Vodafone Idea (Vi) Launches Four Voice-Only Prepaid Plans in India
  2. AU Small Finance Bank Data Leak Probe, Vijay Sales Breach Claims Raise Concerns
  3. WhatsApp Introduces Four New Features for Group Chats
  4. Motorola Signature 27 Launch Date Set for November 5
  5. Here Is When Samsung's First Android XR Glasses Could Launch
  6. Google Adds Free Textbooks to Gemini Notebook With Study Guides, Quizzes in India, US
  1. AU Small Finance Bank Investigates Potential Leak; Vijay Sales Systems Allegedly Offered for Sale
  2. Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Black Flag Resynced Get New Game+; Ubisoft Shares Update on Assassin's Creed Hexe
  3. North Korea’s Lazarus Group Linked to Alleged $6.3 Billion Binance Hack
  4. Samsung's Galaxy Glasses to Launch in Select Markets in December: Report
  5. Google Gemini Personal Avatars: How to Create, Share and Delete Them
  6. Binance Faces Historic Crypto Hack as Emergency Response and Market Fallout Unfold
  7. Canva’s New Vision-Language Model Lets You Edit, Refine Designs Using Prompts With Lower Editing Costs
  8. Nothing Announces 2027 Product Roadmap, Plans to Launch Over Twice as Many Smartphones Next Year
  9. Android 16 Leads With 25.4 Percent Share as Android 17 Adoption Remains at 1 Percent: Report
  10. Vivo X500, Vivo X500 Pro and X500 Pro Max Reportedly Receive BIS Certification Ahead of India Launch
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2026. All rights reserved.