This week, WhatsApp introduced several significant updates: the green online status indicator on iOS, a paid partnership label for channels, a redesigned group info screen on iOS, new chat management tools for Wear OS, birthday reminders for contacts, and notifications for pinned messages.
Table of Contents
Green Online Status Indicator on iOS
WhatsApp is bringing the green online status dot to iOS, making contact availability information more visible.
How it works
When you open a contact’s info screen, a green dot appears on their profile photo if they are currently online. The dot disappears as soon as the contact becomes inactive. This indicator replaces the text label “online” that previously appeared below the photo. For contacts who have hidden their “online” and “last seen” status in privacy settings, the green dot does not appear.
Why it’s needed
Makes online status information more noticeable and intuitive. Prepares users for the future Contacts hub, where green dots will appear in the list of available contacts.
Status
The feature is available to some iOS beta testers, as well as some users on the stable version from the App Store. Gradual rollout.
Paid Partnership Label for Channels
WhatsApp is introducing a special label for channel updates created as part of commercial collaborations.
How it works
Channel admins can mark an update as a paid partnership through the context menu (long press the update → Add paid partnership). Once applied, the label cannot be removed. Followers can see the label on the update across all app versions (Android, iOS, Web, Desktop). Updates without the label are perceived as organic content.
Why it’s needed
Ensures transparency for followers — they can distinguish sponsored content from the admin’s personal recommendations. Helps admins comply with legal requirements (e.g., the Digital Services Act in Europe) and avoid fines for undisclosed advertising.
Status
The feature is available to some users on Android and iOS. Gradual rollout.
Redesigned Group Info Screen on iOS
WhatsApp is bringing the updated group info screen interface to iOS, previously available on Android.
How it works
The group info screen is now divided into three tabs: Members, Media, and Settings. The Members tab shows the full list of group participants. The Media tab combines “Media, links, and documents” and “Kept messages”. The Settings tab contains group permissions, notifications, and additional options. Two new sections are also added: Preferences (chat theme, media visibility in gallery, storage management) and Privacy (chat lock and encryption).
Why it’s needed
Simplifies navigation through the many group settings. Previously, all options were mixed together, making it time‑consuming to find what you needed. Now, related parameters are grouped, and new features can easily fit into the existing structure.
Status
The feature is available to some iOS beta testers. Gradual rollout.
New Chat Management Tools for Wear OS
WhatsApp is expanding the Wear OS app functionality by adding the ability to manage chats directly from the watch.
How it works
On the watch, you can start a new chat with any contact (previously you could only reply to existing ones). New actions include: mark chat as read/unread, pin/unpin, archive, and mute notifications. All actions are accessible by swiping on a chat in the list. For group chats, you can clear the notification count.
Why it’s needed
Makes the Wear OS app more independent from the phone. Users can manage chats without taking their phone out of their pocket. Fills the gaps that have existed since the app’s launch in 2023.
Status
The feature is available to some Android beta testers with Wear OS. Gradual rollout.
Birthday Reminders for Contacts
WhatsApp is working on a feature that will notify users about upcoming birthdays of their contacts.
How it works
A dedicated section will appear in the app showing upcoming birthdays of contacts. On the birthday, WhatsApp sends an in‑app notification. The feature uses data from the user’s address book — WhatsApp reads birthdays only for contacts where they are saved. No additional privacy settings are required, as everything works locally on the device.
Why it’s needed
Most people already use WhatsApp to send birthday wishes. An in‑app notification eliminates the need to use a separate calendar app or remember dates on your own.
Status
The feature is in development for Android. A release is expected in a future update.
Notifications for Pinned Messages
WhatsApp is adding push notifications that inform users when a message has been pinned in a chat or group.
How it works
When someone pins a message, WhatsApp sends a notification with the prefix “Pinned:” followed by the message content. For photos and videos, the notification simply states that media was pinned, without a preview. Tapping the notification opens the chat with the pinned message highlighted. Notifications are not sent for pinned messages in muted chats and groups.
Why it’s needed
Previously, a user could miss a pinned message if they didn’t open the chat for several days. The notification ensures that all participants learn about important information immediately after it is pinned.
Status
The feature is available to some Android beta testers. Gradual rollout.
Conclusion
This week, WhatsApp focused on improving notifications and transparency: the green online status indicator and notifications for pinned messages make communication more timely, the paid partnership label builds trust in channels, and the group screen redesign along with new Wear OS capabilities simplify management. Birthday reminders add a useful social feature to the app.
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