The feature lets users add participants to a group chat with a simple forwarded link.
WhatsApp has been rumoured to have “public group chats” in the works for months now, with nothing to show for it. That just changed in the apps’ latest beta update.
In WhatsApp’s version 2.16.281 beta, public group links are now live and ready to go. While the feature had technically been added in June, users could join but weren’t able to actually generate a group’s link without some tinkering in the system folders.
Android Police reports the feature is now fully live in the beta app, however. When an admin of a group chat opens the chat window and attempts to add a new participant, a new “Invite to group via link” option will appear at the top of their contacts list. Tapping that button opens a new screen with a unique link to the chat generated, that you can copy, forward through WhatsApp, or share via another app.
That link then lets other users that have it, join the group in question without needing you to manually add them. In addition, the menu at the top of the link page says you can also convert the link into a QR code, or write it to an NFC tag.
While it may seem a little strange to want to add people to a group chat when they’re not in your contact list, take for example a party. If people are looking to share photos after, it would require someone to setup the group, and add each participant individually. In addition, if some of those people were meeting for the first time, phone numbers (and consequently WhatsApp contacts) may not have been exchanged at all. Far simpler to print and place a QR code by the door, that guests can scan on their way out.
Aside from the public group chats, another new feature in this update of the beta app is a “forward” button in chat. Any media content, be it pictures, Gifs, links, or videos, will have an forward arrow next to it. Tapping that lets you quickly share the content in another chat, without having to manually tap and hold down on the message to select it before the forward option appears in the menu at the top.
To test out these new features, you can download WhatsApp v2.16.281 APK here, or simply download the beta app from Google Play, and let it update on its own.
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 "Instant Messaging app, WhatsApp, beta testing, app update, Android, Google Play")
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