If you are an ardent WhatsApp user, you should have used QR codes at one point, to pair your smartphone with the app on a desktop. But following social media platforms that are embracing the idea of scanning codes, the trend has caught up with the Facebook-owned messaging service and the feature is coming in soon.
Just like Instagram recently unveiled the Nametag code that other users can scan to see your profile, WhatsApp is building features to let users easily add new contacts directly from the app.
A new reveal from WABetaInfo indicates that the feature called “Share Contact Info via QR” will let users share their contact details to other WhatsApp users via a QR code.
You will be able to add a new contact on your WhatsApp by simply scanning the QR code of that contact. Once the app verifies the QR code to be correct, it will fill out the fields and then add the contact in the address book without any intervention.
It is claimed that the feature was spotted on iOS beta, though it will be available on Android in future.
Additionally, WhatsApp is reported to be improving on its User Interface for adding new contacts through its app on Android and iOS. The new “simple and intuitive interface” will automatically allocate the country code once you choose the country of the new contact.
And when you successfully enter the phone number, it will indicate whether the new contact is an active WhatsApp user. If at all the contact is not, then it will show a “Not on WhatsApp” label just below the phone number.
This is an addition to a number of updates made recently including stickers for both Android and iOS app users, which users can now download and use for expression in chats; private replies for group chats on Android; and the Picture-in-picture mode also recently introduced to allow for video play wihtin a chat when you receive links of videos hosted on YouTube, Facebook, Streamable, or Instagram.
