WhatsApp users on iPhone devices have previously been limited to searching messages by text.
The search-by-date feature shows up inside the messaging window as a scrollable menu
WhatsApp has rolled out its latest fully stable update for iPhone users. The update has been made available to iOS users on the Apple App store and introduces the ability to search for messages by date. The new update also allows users to drag and drop images, videos, and documents from other apps in the messaging app and share with other WhatsApp users in chat messages. The update has started reaching some iPhone users and is expected to roll out to all users soon.
The Meta-owned instant messaging and voice-over-IP platform has introduced the latest stable update with the build number 23.1.75 on the Apple App Store for iOS users. The latest update allows users to search and find specific messages in chat by date. Additionally, it also introduces drag-and-drop functionality between other apps for images, documents, and videos that the user wishes to share through WhatsApp.
WhatsApp users on iOS were previously limited to searching for messages with keywords but this seems to have changed with the introduction of the search-by-date feature on WhatsApp for iOS. The search-by-date feature shows up inside the messaging window as a scrollable menu that allows users to set the date, month, and year that they wish to skip to.
However, the scrollable menu seems to end at the date at which the particular messaging window's chat history begins. Therefore, the feature could also double as a quick way to check on and navigate through the existing chat history timeline in each messaging window.
The latest update also retains introductions made in previous updates that include the ability for users to hide their online status and a shortcut to message oneself, opening a chat window at the top of the user's chat list.
However, it seems that the newly introduced WhatsApp update is currently showing up for some select users in their App Store. Hence, a wider rollout could be expected in the coming days.
A Gadgets360 staff member was able to verify the search-by-date functionality on an iPhone.
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