Illustration: The Verge WhatsApp is getting a built-in contact manager that lets you save contacts within the app so you don't lose them if you switch phones.WhatsApp typically relies on the smartphone address book it runs on to hold and manage contacts. But that can be a problem for users who lose their device and fail to back up their phone's contacts, people who share phones, or those who manage multiple accounts with separate contacts on one device.To start, you'll be able to save contacts on WhatsApp Web and Windows and Meta says that you'll eventually" be able to do so on other linked devices. Contacts saved in WhatsApp use a new privacy-preserving" storage technology called Identity Proof Linked Storage (IPLS) that Meta explains keeps names and... Continue reading...

Illustration: The Verge WhatsApp dropped the most I can't believe this wasn't already there" feature this week: message drafts. Now, WhatsApp lets you know if you have unsent messages typed up in chats so you know to get back to them later.To let you know about a draft, messages you've started writing will show a green and bold Draft" word followed by what you've typed up. That way, you can ponder about finishing it when you open the app and not accidentally ignore your friends (though you still purposefully could, I guess.)Drafts also end up at the top of the chats list, so you don't have to scroll to search for lost ones. The feature is now available in the app worldwide, Engadget reports.WhatsApp announced in July that it had hit 100 million monthly... Continue reading...

Illustration: The Verge WhatsApp is introducing a new transcription feature that makes it easier (and more convenient) to communicate using voice messaging. The feature is rolling out globally to Android and iOS users in the coming weeks" according to WhatsApp, and will automatically create a text version of voice clips under the message for moments when you're unable to listen to them.This finds a great balance between the pros and cons of voice messages, which are easier to record than typing out lengthy conversations but can be cumbersome to listen to, especially on the go or in loud environments. Now you get the best of both worlds, but only voice message recipients who have the feature enabled can see the transcripts. Image: WhatsApp ... Continue reading...

Illustration: The Verge Meta's popular messaging app WhatsApp is testing a new design that gives prominent space to a suite of AI chatbots. The design, currently only accessible through the app's Android beta, adds a dedicated tab for AIs on the app's homescreen.WABetaInfo spotted the change, which devotes one of WhatsApp's four tabs solely to its AI features. It includes a selection of Popular AI characters" to talk to, along with others organized by subject matter. Other AI-powered features within WhatsApp include AI-generated images and stickers and a search tool using Meta AI.These AI tools and chatbots aren't new to WhatsApp, though they're only available in the US and certain other countries, and a limited selection of languages. They're currently accessed through the app's primary Chats tab, but this update looks to give them more prominence. Image: WABetaInfo The exciting AIs that WhatsApp wants you to chat with. The app is also experimenting with expanding the range of AI bots by adding the option to create personalized AI characters, which WABetaInfo found in a separate beta update today. Meta already offers the ability to create custom AI bots, but only through an AI Studio on the Instagram website. Adding the option directly into an app is a significant simplification of the process.The new AI tab replaces the existing Communities tab, though that functionality isn't going anywhere. A previous beta version earlier this week introduced a streamlined" version of Community creation within the Chats tab.The WhatsApp beta is available through Google Play, though tester numbers are limited and the option to join is currently unavailable. We don't know if or when the AI tab will be added to the app's live build, but the change is likely to be limited only to those countries where the AI features are already available.

Illustration: The Verge WhatsApp is rolling out some new features and design improvements to help you become faster and more creative when messaging. Starting today, WhatsApp users can double-tap to react to messages in chats rather than tapping and holding, with their most-used emojis now being displayed in the scrolling pop-out menu instead of the generic selection that was previously provided.It's a similar quality-of-life feature that Discord provides: placing your favorite reactions within easy reach to prevent you from having to hunt through a massive wall of emojis. WhatsApp users can still easily access their other emoji options by clicking the plus symbol on the reaction bar. On the other hand, Meta's Messenger app still only displays the same five emojis as reactions for each message - I'd like to see this update carried over from WhatsApp in the future. Image: WhatsApp A few small, but welcome upgrades to personalize chats. The filters and virtual backgrounds that WhatsApp introduced for video calls last year are now coming to its messages, allowing users to edit shots using 30 different visual effects when they take a photo or video in chats. Sticker packs can now also be shared directly to chats, and users can turn their selfies into custom stickers by tapping on the sticker icon. The Sticker selfies feature is currently only available on Android, with iOS support coming soon," according to WhatsApp.