WhatsApp brings changes for May 2025: discover the eight new features
WhatsApp is constantly working on new features, and some are currently in the testing phase. Those who want to download the beta version will have the opportunity to try them out first and be part of the development process. At this moment, seven tools are in that testing phase, while one more has already been officially announced, including several new options.
These new features are being tested on both Android and iOS devices. According to WABetaInfo, they involve updates related to stickers, advanced privacy, events, calls, and channel tools.
Avatars, stickers, and privacy: new ways to express yourself and stay in control.
What new features does WhatsApp plan to introduce?
Avatars, stickers, and privacy: new ways to express yourself and stay in control.
Among the highlighted features is the ability to share stickers based on personalized avatars, which is already available in the beta versions for Android and iOS. This tool allows users to create animated versions of themselves that can be inserted into conversations as stickers.
Users can now define who is allowed to use their avatar in shared stickers. The options include “My contacts,” “Selected contacts,” and “Nobody.” If both people in a chat allow mutual use of their avatars, a special category called “Together” is enabled, generating unique combined stickers for that conversation. This feature was also enabled on iOS with update 25.10.10.72, ensuring a consistent experience across platforms.
This same logic of control applies to an advanced chat privacy feature, available in beta in iOS update 25.10.10.70 and Android version 2.25.11.2. It is an option that prevents the automatic downloading of media to the device’s gallery and blocks the full export of chat history.
Any change to this setting triggers a notification within the chat, ensuring transparency among participants. “The setting can be enabled or disabled by any member of the conversation, whether it’s an individual or group chat,” WhatsApp explained on its official channel, ensuring that balanced oversight is maintained without affecting the user experience.
Another feature in beta testing is the ability to overlay images as stickers in status updates.
Innovations in status editing and personalized animations
Another feature in beta testing is the ability to overlay images as stickers in status updates. This function, tested in iOS version 25.10.72, allows users to add additional photos with editable shapes—square, circle, star, or heart—and to adjust their size and position on the canvas, offering greater creative freedom. The images can be moved and resized within the editor, bringing more dynamism to ephemeral posts.
Meanwhile, Android users with version 2.25.11.10 have started gaining access to a new section in the app’s settings that lets them manage emoji, sticker, and GIF animations individually. For instance, users can keep emojis static while preserving animations in GIFs—introducing a new level of customization without impacting the overall performance of the device.
Real-time activity, selective notifications, and interactive events
Among the features already in the process of public rollout, WhatsApp has introduced a real-time activity indicator for group chats. This option, visible beneath the group name, shows how many users are currently online—without revealing their identities.
As the company clarified, users who have chosen to hide their online status will not appear in the count nor be able to see the indicator. The tool is intended to help users decide when to start a conversation or expect a quick reply, especially in groups with high message turnover.
Another new feature is an improvement in group notification management. Through a new setting, users can choose to receive alerts only when they are mentioned, replied to, or if the message comes from a specific contact. This option aims to reduce the noise in large groups without missing important interactions. While this behavior was previously the default when silencing groups, it is now explicitly available to improve clarity and customization.
Event features within the app have also been expanded. They are no longer limited to group chats but can now be created in one-on-one conversations. Available options include tentative RSVP, the ability to add a guest, setting an end time for longer events, and pinning key event details at the top of the chat.
In the area of calls, WhatsApp has improved connection quality and added the ability to zoom during video calls, allowing users to focus more closely on visual elements.
Video calls, document scanning, and channel improvements
In the area of calls, WhatsApp has improved connection quality and added the ability to zoom during video calls, allowing users to focus more closely on visual elements. It also introduced an option to add new participants directly from an ongoing conversation, making it easier to start group calls without needing to restart the session.
For iPhone users, a document scanning feature has been integrated directly into the app. This eliminates the need for external tools and speeds up the process of sending physical documents in digital format—particularly useful in work or educational settings. Additionally, iOS users can now set either WhatsApp Messenger or WhatsApp Business as their default app for sending messages or making calls.
Finally, WhatsApp channels have also received upgrades aimed at enhancing interaction between admins and followers. Updates can now be shared in video format, and QR codes can be used to promote channels directly. Furthermore, a new feature allows for voice message transcriptions, improving accessibility for users with hearing impairments or for those who prefer reading over listening.
Links
- WhatsApp introduces new features across chats, calls, and channels – TechCrunch
- Sell Pre-owned Smartphone or Tablet Online – iGotOffer
- Everything About Apple’s Products – The complete guide to all Apple consumer electronic products, including technical specifications, identifiers and other valuable information.
New WhatsApp Tips & Tricks – EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW!!! [Video]
Video uploaded by Hayls World on October 20, 2023.
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