This week, WhatsApp introduced several significant updates: post scheduling for channels, a new payments section on iOS, channel admin profiles, a password instead of a PIN for two-factor authentication, “Scam Alert” fraud protection, and five chat topic categories.
Table of Contents
Scheduled Posts in Channels
WhatsApp is extending the scheduled messages feature to channels, allowing admins to publish updates at a chosen time.
How it works
A channel admin long-presses the send button to open a date and time picker. A post can be scheduled from 10 minutes up to two weeks in advance. WhatsApp queues the update and publishes it automatically — the admin does not need to be online at the time of publication. Scheduled posts appear in the channel info screen, where they can be viewed or deleted before they go live.
Why it’s needed
Channels that post content at consistent times often perform better. Without a scheduling tool, admins have to be online at the right moment, which is especially difficult when there is a time difference with the audience. The feature allows admins to prepare content in advance and rely on WhatsApp for delivery.
Status
The feature is in development for Android. A release is expected in a future update.
Payments Section on iOS
WhatsApp is developing a new payments section on iOS, which could pave the way for expanding the feature to new regions.
How it works
A “Payments” section will appear in settings with three blocks: pay a contact (select recipient and amount), save bank cards (expiry date, CVV, billing address), and shipping information (email, phone, address). Users will be able to download or delete all saved payment data. The country selector for the billing address includes the Netherlands, Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United States, and others.
Why it’s needed
The presence of European countries in the form indicates that WhatsApp is preparing infrastructure for a possible launch of payments beyond its current markets (India, Brazil, Singapore, Mexico). This would allow more users to make payments directly within the app.
Status
The feature is in early development for iOS. There are no official plans to expand payments yet.
Channel Admin Profiles
WhatsApp is launching a feature that allows channel admins to create a separate profile for their posts.
How it works
A toggle called “Show admin profile on updates” appears in channel settings (disabled by default). Once enabled, the admin can set a name (up to 25 characters) and a profile photo that are separate from their personal account. The phone number and personal account details remain hidden. The profile can be changed at any time, and different profiles can be created for multiple channels.
Why it’s needed
Followers no longer see updates from an anonymous source and understand who exactly published the content. In channels with multiple admins, this makes it easier to distinguish authorship. Admins themselves can track who published a particular update.
Status
The feature is available to some Android beta testers. Gradual rollout.
Password Instead of PIN for Two-Step Verification
WhatsApp is officially replacing the 6-digit PIN with an alphanumeric password for two-step verification.
How it works
An option to set an account password has appeared in settings (Account). The password must contain at least 8 characters, at least one letter, and at least one number. It is requested after entering the 6-digit SMS code when logging in. Users who already have two-step verification with a PIN can update their code to a password. If the password is forgotten, it can be reset via email — it is recommended to add a recovery email in advance in settings.
Why it’s needed
An alphanumeric password has significantly more possible combinations than a 6-digit PIN and cannot be guessed using obvious patterns (birthday, repeated digits). This makes the second factor of account protection substantially more reliable.
Status
The feature is available to some users on Android and iOS. Gradual rollout.
Scam Alert — Protection Against Fraud
WhatsApp is launching Scam Alert — a feature that warns users about suspicious messages from unknown contacts.
How it works
The feature is disabled by default and is enabled manually in account settings. When a message arrives from an unknown contact, an on-device model analyzes it locally and, if signs of fraud are detected, shows a warning in the chat: “This may be a scam.” The user can block and report the contact or mark the chat as trusted. The sender never knows that the warning appeared. Messages are not sent to WhatsApp or Meta servers. The model updates in the background, and update requests go through a relay that hides the IP address. Activity logs are stored only on the device.
Why it’s needed
Protects users from fraudulent messages without compromising privacy. Unlike cloud-based solutions, analysis happens entirely on the device, preserving end-to-end encryption. To improve model accuracy, Meta has also expanded its Bug Bounty program.
Status
The feature is available to a limited number of Android beta testers. An iOS version will follow later.
Five Categories of Chat Themes
WhatsApp is expanding the chat theme selection to five categories, adding themed wallpapers and animated backgrounds.
How it works
The theme picker now includes categories: “Featured” (curated selection by WhatsApp), “Nature” (landscapes — mountains, forests, ocean), “Live” (slowly animated wallpapers marked with a Live icon), “Minimal” (plain background — white in light mode, dark in dark mode), and “Doodle” (classic WhatsApp wallpapers with patterns). The message bubble color is automatically selected for each background to ensure text readability, but users can change it manually. The animation in the Live category is deliberately slow so as not to distract from reading or cause discomfort for users with motion sensitivity.
Why it’s needed
Provides maximum choice of chat design — from expressive animated backgrounds to clean minimalism. Automatic bubble color selection simplifies setup and guarantees accessibility.
Status
The feature is available to some iOS users from the App Store, as well as TestFlight beta testers. Gradual rollout.
Conclusion
This week, WhatsApp focused on security and professional tools: password instead of PIN and Scam Alert strengthen account protection, while admin profiles and scheduled posts make channels more convenient for content creators. The payments section on iOS hints at a possible expansion of financial features, and five chat theme categories complete a major personalization update.
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