Whatsapp for Android Adds New Text Formatting Tools in Beta

WhatsApp has been on a roll lately with new multiple features piling up in the beta. Recently, we learned that WhatsApp is gearing up to soon allow users to change their app theme colors. Not to mention that the WhatsApp multi-account support feature rollout was a big move to enhance user experience. Now, another WABetaInfo report reveals that Android users will soon get a bunch of new WhatsApp text formatting tools to make use of.

According to the latest report, WhatsApp’s new beta update #2.24.2.9 on Android brings a couple of new text formatting tools. Now, using these text formatting tools, WhatsApp Android users will be able to send code blocks, quote blocks, numbered lists, and bulleted lists in their messages. This adds to the existing bold, italic, and strikethrough formatting options.

As you can see from the above screenshot, using specific formatting syntaxes or shortcuts, you can make use of this feature. Here’s a quick rundown of how it will work:

• Code Block: Inserting “`” before and after a sentence will convert your text into a code block on WhatsApp.
• Quote Block: For inserting a quote block, you will have to start and end a message with the “>” symbol.
• Ordered lists: Meanwhile, for ordered lists, you will have to use either the “-” or “*” symbol before a sentence to instantly create a bulleted list. For numbered lists, you can just type in the specific number to start creating the list.

Talks of this feature making it to WhatsApp have been going on for quite some time, with reports having started pouring in as early as August 2023. In October 2023, another report revealed that this feature was being tested out for WhatsApp web and mobile app versions. Moreover, while we were drafting, we stumbled upon an official WhatsApp support page that already mentions all of these formatting options.

Some beta testers on the latest 2.24.2.9 version can use the new formatting options. That could only mean one thing; that this feature is going to arrive via a stable update very soon.

Besides, these text formatting options are not just for you to use in personal chats. They can come in handy for carrying out work-related conversations as well. As the report states, these new WhatsApp text formatting options will allow users to “effectively communicate technical details or complex information with precision.”

What do you think about this new feature? Will you find yourself using it actively? Let us know in the comments down below!