WhatsApp replaced the “Status” section with the new “Updates” tab after rolling out the Channels feature globally. The Updates tab includes both status from other users in the contact list as well as the Channels that users have joined or the ones that are recommended for them. The Meta-owned popular instant messaging app has rolled out a new update through the Google Play Beta Program. The update will be available only for Android beta testers.
According to a report by WABetaInfo, the latest update brings a new search feature for the Updates tab. This option will help users to search for status updates as well as channels. However, the search bar in the Updates app is currently limited to a handful of beta testers. WhatsApp also hasn’t confirmed when this feature will be widely available for all users. The feature is likely to roll out for more users over the coming days.
How Updates tab search will work
WhatsApp has been working on adding the search bar to the Updates tab since last month. The report shares a screenshot to show how the search feature will look inside the Updates tab. The search bar is expected to be available within the top app bar. With this feature, users will be able to search for status updates, followed channels, and even other verified channels.
If users want to discover if this feature is available to their account, the report suggests closing the app twice after updating it from the Google Play Store. The report claims that this action might force the search button to appear within the Updates tab.
This feature will be helpful for users as searching for status updates shared by a specific contact within the new Updates tab is currently quite complicated. This affects the user experience of WhatsApp.
With this feature, users will be able to quickly search for followed channels and other verified channels without opening the directory.
