WhatsApp is testing a new Contacts tab that brings online status, birthdays and contact search into one dedicated section.
WhatsApp is testing a new dedicated Contacts tab in its Android app, giving users a separate place to browse and manage their contacts.
The feature has appeared in the latest WhatsApp beta version available through the Google Play Store for users enrolled in the beta programme. As it remains under development, the new Contacts tab is not currently available to all Android users.
The Contacts option appears as a new tab in the app’s navigation bar. Opening it displays the user’s WhatsApp contacts, along with an indicator showing which contacts are currently online.
WhatsApp adds birthday reminders
The new Contacts section also introduces birthday-related information. Contacts who have a birthday on the current day will be marked with a cake emoji and a “Birthday today” label next to their name.
WhatsApp automatically obtains birthday information from the phone’s contacts, meaning users do not need to enter the details separately within the messaging app.
The feature could make the Contacts tab more useful beyond simply displaying a list of people connected to WhatsApp.
Users will also be able to invite people to join WhatsApp directly from the new section. This could be useful for contacts who are saved on a phone but do not yet use the messaging service.
Search and sorting options
A search bar at the top of the Contacts tab will allow users to find people by name, phone number or username.
WhatsApp is also testing sorting options that let users organise contacts based on activity or alphabetically. Choosing the activity option places contacts who are currently online towards the top of the list.
However, the online indicator will continue to depend on a contact’s privacy settings. People who have disabled their last seen or online status will not appear as online through the new feature.
The dedicated Contacts tab is currently limited to the beta version of WhatsApp for Android. WhatsApp has not yet confirmed when the feature will be rolled out to the stable version or whether additional options will be added before its wider release.