WhatsApp is reportedly working on a new way for Android users to manage and discover contacts from a single section. The platform is developing a dedicated Contacts tab that could show online contacts, birthday reminders and additional contact-related options.
According to a report by WABetaInfo, the feature is currently under development for the Android app and is not yet available to beta testers.
The new Contacts tab could bring all contacts together on one screen. Users may be able to find people, see who is online, check birthday reminders and invite new users to WhatsApp.
A search bar at the top could allow users to find contacts using their name, phone number or username. The contact list may also be organised by activity or alphabetically. The activity option would place currently online contacts at the top, while the alphabetical option would arrange the full list by name.
WhatsApp is reportedly planning to show a green dot on a contact’s profile picture when they are online. For offline contacts, the app could display their last seen information if the user has not hidden the “Last Seen” status.
Birthday reminders could also become part of the new section. When a contact has a birthday, WhatsApp may show a cake emoji and a “Birthday today” label next to their name. This could let users start a conversation without opening individual chats.
The Contacts tab may also include a link to Meta AI below the contact list. An “Invite a friend” option at the bottom could allow users to share an invitation link with people who do not yet use WhatsApp.
The feature is expected to follow users’ existing privacy settings. If a contact hides their online status, the green dot will not be shown. Contacts who have disabled their last seen information will also not appear based on recent activity.
The Contacts tab is currently not available through the Android beta programme. WhatsApp could introduce it in a future update.
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