WhatsApp has introduced a new feature for mobile devices aimed at enhancing real-time chat engagement, the company announced on Thursday. The update will now display typing indicators with visual cues for users during active conversations, available in both one-on-one and group chats. This launch complements the voice message transcripts feature that was unveiled last month, which allows users to view text-based transcriptions of voice messages received from others.
Typing Indicators on WhatsApp
According to a press release from the Meta Platforms-owned entity, the typing indicators feature includes “…” visual cues that will display at the bottom of the chat screen. Users will also see the profile picture of the individual who is currently typing. This functionality is particularly beneficial in group chats, where multiple participants may be engaging simultaneously.
The new typing indicators will indicate when the other person in the conversation is typing, supplementing the existing Typing indicator shown in the top banner. This feature was first reported in development back in October and has since been made available to select beta testers.
WhatsApp has confirmed that the typing indicators are being rolled out for both its iOS and Android applications. Staff members at Gadgets 360 have verified the feature’s availability on devices operating under these platforms.
Other Recent Additions
Alongside the typing indicators, WhatsApp recently launched voice message transcripts, making the process of sending voice messages more user-friendly. As indicated by the feature’s name, it enables users to receive a text-based version of voice messages sent by others. However, only the recipient can access the transcript, while the sender remains unaware of its content.
The company has stressed that voice message transcripts are created on-device, ensuring that no third party can access the content. Additionally, voice messages continue to be safeguarded by the platform’s end-to-end encryption. Currently, the transcript feature supports English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Russian on Android devices, while the iOS version includes added support for Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Thai, Turkish, and Swedish.
