WhatsApp is working on a new Read Later feature in WhatsApp Android beta variant 2.21.2.2. According to a report by WABetaInfo, the Read Later feature is an improvement over the Archived Chats feature that is already available to all WhatsApp users. Also Read - Phone numbers of WhatsApp Web users are now available on Google search: Report
Do note that the Read Later feature is currently under development and not available to anyone as of now. Just like Archived Chats, the Read Later can be disabled as well from Chat Settings. Also Read - Signal down due to huge user influx; company working on a fix
“WhatsApp was developing Read Later, a replacement/improvement of Archived Chats. When a chat is added in your archive, the user doesn’t receive notifications from it because all archived chats will be automatically muted, in order to reduce interruptions,” WABetaInfo reported. Also Read - WhatsApp delays privacy policy update; you now have time until May 15 to accept
To give a perspective, the Archive Chat feature allows users to hide an individual or group chat from their chats. However, the chat is automatically unarchived when users receive a new message from that individual or group chat.
Read Later aims to reduce interruptions as chats with new messages will stay in the Read Later category and users will not get any notifications. All chats in the Read Later category are muted to reduce interruptions.
An option to disable the Read Later feature will be available as well, similar to how users can unarchive chats and groups. To disable Read Later, one can head to Chat Settings, where users will need to enable the option to move chats with new messages to the main chats list.
WhatsApp is under fire for its updated Privacy Policy, which reveals that the messaging app shares data of its users with parent company Facebook. WhatsApp users will need to accept WhatsApp’s Privacy Policy by February 8, 2021, to avoid losing access to their WhatsApp account.
WhatsApp in a recent post clarified the kind of data the messaging app and Facebook company can access. For instance, neither WhatsApp nor Facebook can see private messages of users or hear their calls. In addition, the social media companies can not see the shared location of users, neither do they keep logs of who everyone is messaging or calling. Groups remain private as well and WhatsApp does not share contacts of users with Facebook, it said in the post.
