Following a few weeks of beta testing, WhatsApp is now rolling out its new in-chat search button to iPhone users. Here are the details.
Early last month, WhatsApp started testing a new search button in the bottom-right corner of the in-chat interface, making it easier to start a search.
Up until now, in-chat search required users to tap on the contact or group name at the top of the conversation, select the search option from the chat info screen, and then enter their query after being taken back to the main chat.
An in-chat search button, by contrast, streamlines the process by letting users start searching without leaving the conversation.
Now, WABetaInfo reports that WhatsApp is officially rolling out the in-chat search button, though it appears in a different location than it did during beta testing.
The new search button appears at the top of the screen when users scroll up through the conversation. When users return to the bottom of the chat, the button disappears again. It shows up contextually, only when it is useful. Users who see the button can tap it to activate search mode directly within the conversation. As soon as users enable search mode, they can type a keyword and find matching messages without leaving the chat. The search mode works just like the existing one, so users who are already familiar with it will not have to learn anything new.
WABetaInfo notes that the new shortcut is available across individual chats, group chats, and channels. In all three cases, the button appears near the top of the screen when users scroll up through the conversation or channel, and disappears again when they return to the bottom.
As with most WhatsApp feature rollouts, the new search button may take some time to reach everyone.
To read WABetaInfo’s full report on the feature launch, follow this link.
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Marcus Mendes is a Brazilian tech podcaster and journalist who has been closely following Apple since the mid-2000s.
He began covering Apple news in Brazilian media in 2012 and later broadened his focus to the wider tech industry, hosting a daily podcast for seven years.
