WhatsApp tests a new layout for group chats: What to expect

WhatsApp has been regularly pushing updates on its platform for the last few years to keep up with other messaging rivals. However, most of the new features that the Meta-owned instant messaging service is testing or is under development revolve around group chats. WhatsApp has recently rolled the Communities feature for the Android beta testers and now the company might add another improvement that is lined up to arrive with an upcoming update.
According to a report by WABetaInfo, WhatsApp has rolled out a new group chat layout with its latest iOS release, 22.18.0.72. This new layout might be made available for Android beta users as well with a new update.

How does the new layout look
As per the report, WhatsApp’s new design will replace the “forum-like discussion layout” for group chats. The report explains that currently when users have a group chat on WhatsApp, they can’t see the profile pictures of the participants and conversation continues in a “forum-like” layout. However, the new iOS release for the app has changed it so that iPhone users can include the participant’s profile picture next to their messages in group chats.
Importance of the feature
Another report from Sammobile states that similar group chat layouts are already available in rival messaging platforms like — Telegram, Skype and Slack. The report mentions that this new feature can help the group members to identify who has sent a message in a group with a glance at their profile picture attached to their messages. Furthermore, this feature can be helpful for a large group where all members aren’t familiar with each other.

The report also claims that the profile picture will appear only next to the incoming messages. This means that users who are sending a message won’t be able to see their profile picture while group chatting. Moreover, the report also mentions that there is no evidence about this feature being introduced to private chats which can turn out to be unnecessary.