WhatsApp Working on Yearly Terms of Service Reminder Feature, Disables Quick Replies for Non Business Users

WhatsApp Business users can still access Quick Replies on the desktop app.

By David Delima | Updated: 18 March 2022 17:44 IST

Photo Credit: Unsplash/ Eyestetix Studio

WhatsApp is yet to reveal any plans to add a yearly reminder for its ToS for Indian users

Highlights

WhatsApp is owned by Facebook-parent Meta Platforms
Its ‘Yearly reminder of our Terms of Service’ is said to be a shortcut
WhatsApp last attempted to revise its terms of service in January 2021

WhatsApp is reportedly working on a new yearly reminder for the app's Terms of Service. The Meta-owned messaging platform is said to be working on an entry in the app's settings menu, discovered on the latest Android beta version by WABetaInfo. WhatsApp is yet to reveal any details or plans to add such a reminder to the app. Meanwhile, the service has begun to remove access to Quick Replies for regular accounts on the latest WhatsApp Desktop Beta version, after it was previously added for users without WhatsApp Business accounts.

According to a report by WhatsApp features tracker WABetaInfo, the messaging service is currently working on a new ‘Yearly reminder of our Terms of Service' entry in the help menu on WhatsApp settings. A screenshot was also spotted on the latest beta version of WhatsApp for Android (version 2.22.8.1), which shows a green dot on the Help section in the app's settings, presumably to draw users' attention to the yearly reminder for the Terms of Service.

A screenshot of the under-development ‘Yearly reminder of our Terms of Service' entry
Photo Credit: WABetaInfo

A WhatsApp spokesperson confirmed to Gadgets 360 that the yearly reminder will be visible to all users in India, as required by the Information Technology Rules 2021. "This is a yearly reminder of the Terms of Service on WhatsApp. There are no changes to the Terms of Service. To help keep you safe, the Terms of Service explains what is permitted and WhatsApp's response to abuse, so you can continue using the service," the spokesperson stated, adding that the rollout began on March 14.

Meanwhile, WhatsApp is currently reverting a change that allowed regular WhatsApp accounts to access the Quick Reply feature, according to another report by WABetaInfo. Quick Replies are available for WhatsApp Business accounts, allowing users to “save” certain replies and use keyboard shortcuts to respond to users on WhatsApp Desktop. However, some users with regular WhatsApp accounts were able to access the feature on a recent version of WhatsApp Desktop, and the service has disabled Quick Replies for regular accounts on the latest WhatsApp Desktop beta version.

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Further reading: WhatsApp, WhatsApp Business

David Delima

Email David Delima

As a writer on technology with Gadgets 360, David Delima is interested in open-source technology, cybersecurity, consumer privacy, and loves to read and write about how the Internet works. David can be contacted via email at DavidD@ndtv.com, on Twitter at @DxDavey, and Mastodon at mstdn.social/@delima. More