New options for interacting with phone numbers

From humble beginnings on the iPhone over a decade ago, WhatsApp has grown into a messaging juggernaut. It’s currently the number one messaging platform in the US, and although it’s banned in China, it’s also the number one messaging app in the world with over 2 billion monthly users. and 5 billion downloads on Play Store. You’re more likely than not to have it on your phone, and if you’re a member of the beta program, you’re in store for new features for dealing with phone numbers.

In addition to the new emoji and updated voicemail that were released earlier this week, beta users are starting to see new tools for interacting with phone numbers sent in messages (spotted by WABetaInfo). When you tap a number from a chat, the previous behavior was to immediately send that number to your dialer app, so you can make a call. After this change, WhatsApp first presents a pop-up dialog. The app also checks if the line is associated with a WhatsApp account, and if so, gives you the option to start a conversation with the user.

The feature first appears in Beta 2.22.8.11 for Android and is currently rolling out.

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