Think you know everything about your favorite messaging app? Then think again, as WhatsApp added several cool features and subtle improvements to enhance your chatting experience in April. We will take you through all the major changes currently available or expected to arrive on the app soon. So sit back, relax, and enjoy this list of new WhatsApp features added in April 2025.
New WhatsApp Features Added in April 2025 (Stable)
Stable features are available for everyone. You need to just update WhatsApp to the latest version to enjoy these changes. Let’s take a look at what new stable features were added to WhatsApp in April.
1. Advanced Chat Privacy
- Available on Android and iPhone
Advanced Chat Privacy adds an extra layer of security to your WhatsApp chats. When this feature is enabled, any media you send over the chat won’t be automatically downloaded. In addition to this, the other person won’t be able to export your chat or use AI features.
You can use this option in both regular and group chats, and it can be easily turned on or off from the chat page itself. Just tap the name at the top, and scroll down on the next page. Here, turn on the toggle for Advanced Chat Privacy.
2. Set WhatsApp as Default Calls and Messages App
- Available on iPhone
Seeing how often we prefer using WhatsApp over the regular Phone and Messages app, the company has added the option to let you set the app as the default solution for calling and messages on iOS devices. I can see it being a blessing for those who constantly switch to WhatsApp for their regular calling needs.
3. Colorful Icons for Chats and Groups
- Available on Android
Android users should also start seeing these colorful placeholder display pictures instead of the dull gray ones. These will show up if a group or contact hasn’t put up their profile picture, showing the first letter of their name covered in a random shade of color. Making it easier to identify the account.
4. Photo Stickers Status Updates
- Available on Android and iPhone
You could already add music to them, and now there is a photo sticker to add one photo on top of another. It’s pretty much the same as Instagram’s photo sticker, where you can add another photo and change the style to different patterns. Making your WhatsApp status more creative and fun, now if only they bring the rest of the Instagram sticker collection.
5. New Emoji Reaction Tray
- Available on Android
Minor changes often go unnoticed, but not through our keen eyes. In our last month’s monthly WhatsApp features list, we discussed that the app is testing a new reaction tray. This will make it easier to see who reacted with which emoji on the app. Now it is available for all Android devices. This will be great for group chats where chats get bombarded with reactions.
Upcoming WhatsApp Features in April 2025 (Beta)
Upcoming features are currently limited to Beta testers of WhatsApp. These are the changes expected to arrive on WhatsApp later down the line, but if you are using WhatsApp Beta, then you may have received these features already.
6. Private Processing and Other Changes on Meta AI Chatbot
- Testing on Android and iPhone
Like every month, there are a few new Meta AI features that are still up in the works but are worth talking about. First of all, the company is working on a chat memory feature for Meta AI. This will allow it to save your preferences and opinions from previous sessions with Meta AI. Based on that, it will be able to offer more personalized answers that best suit your requirements.
Then there are the AI-generated topics. These will come in handy if you find it hard to strike up a conversation with the chatbot. It’ll show random talking points or ways that you can use the AI. Lastly, we have Private processing.
7. Improved Attachments Layout
- Testing on iPhone
Sharing a photo or media on WhatsApp is a cumbersome experience as of now. That is why the app is testing a new attachment sheet where all the options will be laid out horizontally. It will also show a gallery interface, making it easy to send recent photos faster. There’s also a date indicator, which you could likely scroll up and down to get to a specific date, further helping to share old images.
8. Video Call Privacy
- Testing on Android
Another quality of life update WhatsApp is bringing to the app is the Turn off your video feature for video calls. This will let you choose whether you want to take the call with video turned on or off. Currently, there is no such option, so you can either hang up the phone or take the call and turn off video after. WhatsApp will also add a mute option above chats to improve the calling experience further.
9. Avatar Stickers for WhatsApp Chats
- Testing on Android and iPhone
On Snapchat, when you are in chat with someone, you will get Bitmoji suggestions where you and the other person’s Bitmoji are hanging out together. WhatsApp is trying to adapt something similar, as the app will now show “Together” stickers showing you and the other person’s avatars having fun together. Along with this, there will be an option to adjust who can add their avatars in the stickers.
10. Choose Default Transcription Preference
- Testing on Android and iPhone
WhatsApp introduced voice message transcripts last year. It allowed you to read a transcript of a voice message without even listening to it. Now it seems the app is offering more control over how the transcripts show up. They are testing a menu where you can pick whether you want any incoming voice memo to be automatically transcribed for you, or let you choose it yourself.
11. Share Music Only in Status Updates
- Testing on Android
Just last month, we saw the introduction of a Music button to our WhatsApp status. Now the app is testing an option to only let you share music status updates, where you don’t need to attach a photo or video along with it. It will use the music’s album art as background, and you can select the portion of the song you want to use.
12. Image Layout Option in Status Updates
- Testing on Android
Along with music, WhatsApp is also testing a Layout option for its status updates. This will allow you to share multiple photos at once and arrange them in different collage-style layouts right from the app. Removing the hassle of using a third-party app to first create a collage and then sharing it on WhatsApp status.
13. React with WhatsApp Stickers
- Testing on Android
WhatsApp is also making reactions more fun by adding support for stickers. This would allow you to respond to messages with emojis as well as any sticker of your preference. The feature will support all sticker types on the app, so you should have no issues using your favorite sticker as a reaction.
14. Place Voice or Video Calls with WhatsApp Web
- Testing on WhatsApp Web
Moving on from smartphones, WhatsApp is finally bringing voice and video calling support to WhatsApp Web. This was a much-requested feature, since the web client hasn’t had this basic functionality for the longest time. So I am glad that they are finally working on it, and we could see the feature become available in the coming weeks.
15. In-App Browser in WhatsApp
- Testing on Android
The final big upcoming change coming to WhatsApp is an in-app browser. This will let you open certain links from businesses directly in the app, without needing to redirect you to the default browser app. This will make the experience more seamless, but you can always turn off this feature and use your default browser if you prefer.
With this, we conclude this monthly list of new WhatsApp features from April 2025. While this month we didn’t get to see any groundbreaking change, there were still some quality of life additions like Advanced Chat Privacy. But now it’s your turn to tell us which new or upcoming feature you are excited about most. Let us know in the comments down below.
