Technology Desk: If you get worried while searching for an old message in a long chat on WhatsApp, then your problem may end soon. WhatsApp is testing a new Search Shortcut for iPhone users, with the help of which searching old messages will become much easier than before.
The specialty of this feature is that there will be no need to go to Chat Info again and again to search a message. Search option will be available within the chat itself.
Search will be visible as soon as you scroll up in the chat
Information about this new feature of WhatsApp has been given by WABetaInfo, a website that monitors new updates of the app. According to the report, this new Search Shortcut has appeared to some selected users in version 26.36.74 of WhatsApp Messenger for iOS.
In the new feature, as soon as the user scrolls up to view old messages in a chat, a new Search Control will appear just below the navigation bar.
As soon as you tap on it, search mode will open. After this, the user will be able to directly search the old or any specific message present in the chat by typing any keyword.
New feature will be useful in channels also
This shortcut of WhatsApp is not going to be limited to just chat. According to the report, it can also be used in WhatsApp Channels.
Finding old updates in a long channel can be quite difficult at present, as users have to scroll back a long way. The new shortcut makes it easier to search for older updates without having to go to the channel's information page.
First the search button was being tested below.
Interestingly, WhatsApp was earlier testing this feature in a different way. WABetaInfo had reported in August that the company was testing the Search button at the bottom of the chat.
Now the location of this shortcut has been changed in the new test version. It's placed near the top of the chat and is typically visible when the user scrolls up to view older messages.
As soon as the user goes back to the latest message in the chat, the Search Shortcut has disappeared.
There will be less steps to search old messages
At present, to find a specific message in a WhatsApp chat, one has to first open Chat Info and then go to the Search option. After the new shortcut, this work can be done directly from the chat screen.
This means there will be fewer steps and less hassle to find an old message in a long personal chat, group or channel.
Not all iPhone users have got the feature yet
At present WhatsApp has not made any official announcement regarding this feature. This is currently said to be in testing for some selected iOS users.
Therefore, if this Search Shortcut is not currently visible in your iPhone, it is not necessary that you will not get this feature. WhatsApp can gradually expand it to more users in the upcoming updates.
Overall, if you often search for old messages on WhatsApp, then this small change can prove to be very useful for you.
