WhatsApp has been releasing constant updates for its app over the months and it appears a new "Quick Quotes" feature is coming soon.
Previous updates included improved security encryptions, formatting options, quick reply popups, media storage based on specific contacts, a limited support for GIFs and a video-calling feature which is still allegedly under works. WhatsApp also recently released a desktop version that allows document sharing over the messaging platform.
In its latest update, the WhatsApp 2.16.188 Beta version has incorporated a new nifty feature called "Quick Quotes" that lets users quote a specific part of a conversation to reply on.
While having little use in one-on-one conversations, group chats can benefit a great deal from this feature as such conversations usually consist of vast amounts of replies. More often than not, this makes group discussions a bit aggravating as members have to pay close attention to each and every reply to stay on-topic.
With the added upcoming Quick Quotes function, members in a group chat can now bring up previous texts from a conversation, hidden away by a chunk of current messages. This effectively cancels out the confusion caused when someone replies to an earlier topic if, for example, they arrived late to the discussion.
To use the feature, users have to long-press a speech bubble to bring up the contextual menu that holds the Trash, Copy, Forward and Star options, now added with a Quick Quotes function. Its icon resembles most reply buttons found in messaging apps, and once tapped on, this will add the quoted text above the reply window. The Quick Quotes feature works for standard text replies and even media embedded ones in which the image or media is included in the quote.
Once sent, the quoted message will appear above a person's reply, subheaded with the name of the person whom the text was quoted from. The quote is also indicated with the designated color of the user. Other members can then click on the quoted message and WhatsApp will bring the user to the original reply, highlighting the speech bubble in blue that gradually fades away.
According to some reports, the feature has also been appearing in older versions of the app, which has led most to conclude that the added function is originating from a server switch.
For those who have been unable to call up the Quick Quotes option, it is advised that users check the updates for any new downloads or else reinstall their WhatsApp application. It is important to note that manual actions as such will not guarantee the inclusion of the Quick Quotes feature on their device.
A “What’s New” update on its Google Play Store listing, however, does announce the feature, which means the update could be rolling out in a few days or so.
“Reply to specific messages in any chat. Just tap and hold on any message and tap the reply button at the top of the screen. You can even tap on the quoted part of the message to scroll up to the original message.”
Interested users can also join the beta testing phase to try out the latest WhatsApp updates.
Photo: Jan Persiel | Flickr
