WhatsApp Beta Shows New Features Including Names Instead Of Numbers in Groups

WhatsApp is currently making a lot of changes to its group chat function. Now an adjustment appears in the test version that is supposed to improve the overview. Unknown contacts will no longer be displayed with the phone number but with the name.

WhatsApp will soon have a better overview of group members

Group chats on WhatsApp have become a widespread everyday tool. In addition to small chats in which family, acquaintances, and friends cavort, many unknown contacts can also appear in large groups. All group members who are not listed in their own telephone book are currently displayed with their telephone numbers. But this is exactly where an adjustment is becoming apparent.

As Wabetainfo writes, WhatsApp has recently been available in a new beta version for Android (version 2.23.5.12.), For iPhones & Co. the change has been integrated into the beta for iOS 23.5.0.73. It has been apparent for a while that the so-called push name – the display name specified when registering – should be given higher priority in the app. As a first step, this approach is now being implemented within groups.

As a screenshot shows, messages from unknown contacts now show the push name instead of the phone number in the chat list. This customization is also made in other areas of the app, such as the list of group members. As Wabetainfo emphasizes, this does not mean that the phone number will be hidden from other group members in the future, it will continue to be visible in various places.

WhatsApp wants more from groups

Aside from private communication, WhatsApp’s current development takes into account the fact that the function is increasingly being used by significantly larger groups with many unknown contacts. Recently, among other things, the possibility of setting an expiry date for group chats appeared in the test versions. Switching the display to push names is the next step in positioning the app better for such purposes.