A new feature under development could make it easier for WhatsApp users to remember their friends’ and family’s birthdays. The messaging platform is reportedly working on an in-app birthday reminder system that will notify users when one of their saved contacts celebrates a birthday.
The feature was spotted in the latest WhatsApp for Android Beta 2.26.27.3 update. Although it is still under development and unavailable to beta testers, reports suggest WhatsApp plans to introduce a dedicated Birthdays section that will display upcoming birthdays of saved contacts.
Along with the new section, WhatsApp is expected to send in-app birthday notifications on the day of a contact’s birthday. Users will then be able to directly open the chat window and send birthday wishes without leaving the app.
The feature will only work for contacts who have shared their date of birth with WhatsApp. According to reports, the platform currently relies on data collected in certain regions where users are required to provide their date of birth for age verification. This requirement is enforced in some US states but is not mandatory in many other countries and regions.
As a result, birthday reminders may not be available for all contacts unless users voluntarily share their birth dates in the future.
The report also notes that WhatsApp has not yet introduced privacy controls for this feature. At present, there is no option that allows users to choose who can view their birthday information or hide it from their contacts.
WhatsApp is expected to continue developing the feature before making it available through a future Android update. The company has not officially announced a release timeline.
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