WhatsApp to soon launch ‘Advance Search’ feature for iPhone users

Facebook-owned messenger app WhatsApp is adding new features on the iOS platform. According to a report by WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is testing a feature to improve chat search. The feature is called ‘Advanced Search’ which is an improved version of the app’s already existing feature —Chat Search. This feature is said to allow users to search for photos, links, audio, GIF images, and even videos, apart from the usual text search that is already enabled. WhatsApp beta tracker WABetaInfo, which follows every single development related to WhatsApp made this claim in a report earlier this week.

However,  this feature is still under development. It will roll out to all iOS beta app users in a future update. To join the WhatsApp Beta program on iOS, iPhone users will have to download the TestFlight app.

Earlier, WhatsApp announced its latest update to add an extra layer of security for iPhone users. WhatsApp users can now set up Face ID or Touch ID to open WhatsApp on their iOS devices. The feature is available for WhatsApp iOS version 2.19.20. The newly introduced 'Face ID' feature to WhatsApp iOS will be available for iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR users only. However, the Touch ID feature is accessible on other iPhone models as well.

Recently, Facebook-owned mobile messaging platform WhatsApp has announced it was restricting how many times any given message can be forwarded in an effort to boost privacy and security. In July 2018, WhatsApp rolled out safeguards in India that included limiting the number of users to whom a message can be forwarded. It also ran newspaper ads to raise awareness about fake news.

That decision followed threats by the Indian government to take action after crazed mobs butchered more than 20 people accused of child kidnapping and other crimes in viral, widely-circulated WhatsApp messages. WhatsApp said its latest move to extend the restrictions to all users came after a six-month review of user feedback.