The world’s most famous cross-platform messaging app has received its latest beta update. the WhatsApp Messenger 2.17.131 beta is now available for download and comes with a bunch of updates.
A few weeks back, WhatsApp brought a new feature called Status that was exactly like the Stories feature introduced in Instagram. The company was criticized by the users for removing the old text-only status feature. It has now been brought back and you will be able to add the text only update in your profile section.
Besides this, the WhatsApp Messenger 2.17.131 beta update also allows the users to search for animated GIF from within the app. The option has been added to the emoji section of the chat itself and you can select GIF sitting at the bottom of the emoji.
WhatsApp was also said to be bringing some changes to the chat interface to make it more user-friendly. The chat bar was given a more capsule-like shape and the attachment button was brought down. Alongside this, two separate buttons were introduced for voice and video call, unlike a single button in the final build. These features were introduced a while back in the beta version of the app but are yet to make their way to the final release.
The WhatsApp Messenger 2.17.131 beta was released today itself and can be downloaded as an APK file or by enrolling with the WhatsApp beta program on the Play Store. For the Play Store, you need to follow this link and for downloading APK file of the WhatsApp beta version you can head to this link.
The app weighs 33.29MB and is targeted for Android 7.1 nougat users but requires minimum Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich for working. The file description also mentions support for Android Auto which is a plus point.