WhatsApp rolls out new search filters on Android and iOS

WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging services in the world, with somewhere over a billion people using it on a regular basis. The platform is also rapidly evolving, as new features are being tested and rolled out constantly. This time, WhatsApp is rolling out new search filters in the WhatsApp Business application.

WhatsApp Business is an alternative messaging application developed by WhatsApp, intended for use by companies and other organizations to communicate with (potential) customers. It has some extra functionality over the standard WhatsApp application, such as business profiles, away and greeting messages, and landline/fixed phone number support.

WhatsApp Business search filters (Source: WABetaInfo)

WABetaInfo spotted a new addition to the WhatsApp Business application on Android and iOS — more search filters. You could already narrow your search results to messages containing photos, videos, links, GIFs, audio files, and/or documents, but now there are three additional options. You can now filter messages based on if the recipient is in your contacts list, and if the message has been read or not. As with the existing filters, you can use more than one at the same time.

It’s not clear when, or if, this functionality will arrive in the standard WhatsApp application on Android and iOS. However, the regular app has received several other improvements in recent months. Previewing voice messages before sending them and new privacy features arrived in December, Novi integration for payments entered testing in November, and an updated Picture-in-Picture mode and end-to-end encrypted backups rolled out in October. There was also a new WhatsApp application for desktop Windows that was released in November.

There’s probably less of a need for the new search filters in the regular WhatsApp application, except for people that send and receive a significant amount of messages. Still, it would be nice to see it on the standard app as well.

XDA » News Brief » WhatsApp rolls out new search filters on Android and iOS

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Corbin is a tech journalist and software developer based in Raleigh, North Carolina. He's also the host of the Tech Tales podcast, which explores the history of the technology industry. Follow him on Twitter at @corbindavenport.