WhatsApp Launches New Features In Updates Tab, Working On Document Scanning Tool For Android

WhatsApp is launching new features in the Updates tab, which houses Status and Channels. The messaging platform is introducing channel subscriptions, promoted channels and ads in Status in the WhatsApp Updates tab to help users find channels and products of interest, as per its blog post.

• Channel Subscriptions: For a monthly subscription fee, users can support their preferred channel, like a favourite news network, by getting exclusive updates.

• Promoted Channels: While browsing the directory, WhatsApp will assist users in finding new channels of potential interest. Channel administrators will now have a way to make their channels more visible.

• Ads In WhatsApp Status: In WhatsApp Status, users can quickly locate a new company and strike up a discussion with them about a product or service they are advertising.

According to WhatsApp, "subscriptions, promotions, and ads will appear only on the Updates tab, away from your personal chats". For those who use WhatsApp only as a chatting platform, the experience will remain the same.

WhatsApp is reportedly also developing a feature that will let users scan documents on their Android smartphone. WhatsApp for iOS already has this capability, which lets users scan documents without leaving the messaging app and transmit them as media attachments to other users or to themselves.

After updating to WhatsApp beta for Android 2.25.18.29, WhatsApp feature tracker WABetaInfo noticed the Scan Document feature. This functionality is still being developed, though, and has not yet been made available on the beta channel.

As per WABetaInfo, the scan document feature will show up under the "Browse documents" and "Choose from gallery" options when a user chooses WhatsApp’s Documents attachment option.

The Scan document button should activate the camera, with users having the option to manually take pictures or allow it to do so automatically. WhatsApp will create a PDF after completing the scan for users to save or share further, WABetaInfo said.