WhatsApp to roll out two new features soon

So far, WhatsApp has incorporated a lot of new features in 2018 already— from new group chat controls to hiding media. Now, the messaging platform is reportedly testing a new feature called Mark as Read. This feature is still in development, and not accessible by users, as per a report by WABetaInfo.

The report asserts that “WhatsApp is working on a new shortcut to include in your Notification Center when you receive some messages from the same chat.” In simpler terms, when a user receives some messages from the same chat, they can then immediately mark that message as ‘read’ from the notification panel itself, without even opening the app or the chat window. Currently, the notification panel only displays the ‘Reply’ option and a new ‘Mark as Read’ option will soon be added in the notification shortcut.

This new feature was spotted in WhatsApp Android beta version 2.18.214, but beta testers might not be able to access it, as that feature is currently under development stage. However, we can expect WhatsApp to roll out this feature in the near future.

Additionally, WhatsApp is not done yet, the company is testing a mute feature as well. With this feature, one will be able to mute a chat directly from the notifications panel, without even opening the app. Both the features are expected to be made available to beta testers soon.