News & Reviews:   Whatsapp

While there's no official announcement yet, WhatsApp has quietly begun testing a native app for the Apple Watch via TestFlight. This signals a major shift for users who rely on the wrist rather than the phone, and here's what we know so far.

Encrypting WhatsApp backups just got easier this morning after the app was updated to support Passkey. Messages backed up to the cloud can be locked using the Passkey system in the form of a fingerprint scan, face scan or passcode. So, what should you know about it?

In a strategic pivot within the AI and messaging landscape, Meta Platforms has announced that starting 15 January 2026, it will prohibit third-party general-purpose AI chatbots — including well-known names like ChatGPT and Perplexity — from operating on WhatsApp via its Business API.

In a recent update tied to Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Meta has announced a raft of new safety features specifically designed to help users — especially older adults — spot and avoid online scams. Simply dubbed as an anti-scam tool, it will roll out to WhatsApp and Messenger.

ChatGPT will no longer be available via WhatsApp after January 15, 2026. This was revealed by OpenAI through an official tweet on X (formerly Twitter), which also explained the reason for the termination. That said, what should you know about it?

According to TechCrunch, WhatsApp is currently developing a new feature that aims to limit the number of messages that can be sent in a new conversation when the recipient has not responded. So, what should you know about it?

In this latest update from WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is developing one of the biggest visual overhauls in the app’s iOS avatar. The source reported that the update introduces Apple’s new Liquid Glass design language, first unveiled with iOS 26, bringing depth, layering, and fluidity to the messaging experience for the first time.

In an effort to level the playing field and give every user a fair shot at claiming their ideal username, WhatsApp is developing a username reservation system. The feature — currently under development and not yet available to beta testers — will let people lock in their preferred username before the full username feature launches, tackling a long-standing challenge of early adopters securing the most popular names.

Ensuring data privacy is important, but not for big companies that only see data as a way to sell more ads. In fact, Meta recently announced a change to its privacy policy that will impact how ads are served to users of Meta's many platforms.

Meta has announced several new features for WhatsApp, such as support for Live Photos for iOS users and Motion Photos for Android users. So, what should you know about it?