WhatsApp is reportedly working on a “Newsletter” feature that will allow users to subscribe to newsletters directly from the messaging app.
Wabetainfo noted that the feature is still in the early stages of development and is currently being tested on the beta version 2.23.5.3 of WhatsApp Messenger for Android.
Although there is no release date set for the beta version, clues from the code suggest that the tool will be optional and self-contained in its own section of the WhatsApp Status tab, separate from encrypted group chats and messages.
Wabetainfo found that the Newsletter tool will offer users complete control over the content they want to receive, presented in chronological order. The tool will also support handles that will enable WhatsApp users to peruse and join newsletters by searching for a username directly in the app.
Currently, there is no indication that the feature will contain ads, nor is there any sign of algorithm-based recommendations being built into the tool.
WhatsApp’s Newsletter feature is part of the platform’s latest attempt to experiment with a format that has been gaining popularity in recent months.
Despite the boom in the newsletter space, WhatsApp is not the only company experimenting with this format. Instagram’s co-founders recently introduced Artifact, a new social platform that presents newsletters, blogs, and articles in a TikTok-like format, while Facebook and Twitter have also launched newsletter services in recent years.
