WhatsApp Working on Ability to React to Messages in Community Announcement Groups on iOS: Report

WhatsApp is reportedly working on the ability to react to messages in Community announcement groups. The Meta-owned messaging service has been spotted working on the capability on the latest beta version of WhatsApp for iOS. If the capability is rolled out, users will be able to react to messages that are in Community announcement groups using emoji. The app already lets users react to individual and group chat messages by selecting any message and then tapping on a row of preselected emoji or selecting other emoji supported by the application.

According to a report by WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is working on a new feature for an upcoming iOS beta version that will let users instantly react to a message in Community announcement groups, just like regular group chats.

The feature tracker claims that the feature was not available for Community announcement group chats as it would reveal the user's phone number to other Community members. However, the messaging service is reportedly working on the ability to hide users' numbers when they react to messages.

WhatsApp could show users a message asking them to update to send and view reactions
Photo Credit: WABetaInfo

WABetaInfo has also shared a screenshot of a Community announcement group chat that shows a banner that reads, “to view and send reactions in this chat update WhatsApp.”

However, it is worth noting that the feature is currently being developed by the company and could be released in a future beta update of WhatsApp for iOS.

Meanwhile, WhatsApp recently introduced the beta version of its native app for macOS. The native WhatsApp app for macOS has all the features available on the older Electron-based WhatsApp app for Mac computers. It is supported on Apple MacBook models with M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max, M1 Ultra, M2, ‌M2‌ Pro, and ‌M2‌ Max chipsets, along with other MacBook models running macOS 11 Big Sur, and users can the beta version of the app from the company's website before it is rolled out to all users on the stable channel.