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- WhatsApp is working on a dedicated Contacts tab for its Android app that will let users see who is online, keep track of birthdays and find people in one place. The feature appeared in WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.26.40.3, available through the Google Play beta programme, and was first reported by WABetaInfo.
The tab adds a new option to the app’s navigation bar. A green dot appears on the profile pictures of contacts who are currently online. The list can be sorted by activity, which places online contacts first followed by those recently active, or alphabetically by name.
A search bar at the top lets users look for someone by name, phone number or username. Searching by username ties into work WhatsApp has done on usernames this year, which lets people connect without sharing their phone numbers. At the bottom of the list, shortcuts offer a chat with Meta AI and an option to invite friends who do not yet use the app.
Birthday reminders are included. A contact whose birthday falls on the day carries a “Birthday today” label beside their name, visible for the whole day. WhatsApp does not ask users to enter any dates manually. The app reads the information straight from the phone’s address book. Similar birthday features have appeared in recent iOS beta builds, including birthday dates shown on the contact info screen.
The tab reverses an earlier design. A previous Android beta, version 2.26.13.3, planned to tuck the list of online contacts inside the app’s settings menu. That plan has given way to a full tab on the main screen.
Privacy settings stay intact. Contacts who have hidden their online status or last seen will not show as online, whichever sorting option is chosen.
The Contacts tab is still under development and is not available to regular users. WhatsApp has not said when the feature will leave testing or reach the stable app.
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