WhatsApp is gradually rolling out message text actions on Android and iPhone, according to WABetaInfo. The app now adds a dotted underline to four kinds of detail in chats. Those are phone numbers, dates and times, addresses and email addresses. Tapping one opens shortcuts, such as calling the number or adding the date to your calendar.
WABetaInfo says only some accounts have it so far, and they need the newest WhatsApp build on Android or iOS. It works on both messages you receive and messages you send.
How WhatsApp message text actions work
The popup shows the exact text WhatsApp detected at the top. That lets you check it picked up the right number or address before you act on it. The available actions depend on what was detected:
- Phone numbers: call using your phone carrier, add to contacts, or copy. Business numbers can also show that business’s info.
- Dates and times: add to your calendar, create a WhatsApp event, or copy.
- Addresses: open in your maps app, or copy.
- Email addresses: open in your mail app, or copy.
The event option ties into WhatsApp Events, which WhatsApp’s own blog says is rolling out to everyone in its updated form over the coming weeks.
Is WhatsApp reading your messages to do this?
That’s the obvious question when an app starts underlining parts of your chats. According to WABetaInfo, the suggestions are generated on your device using local pattern matching. In WABetaInfo’s account, neither your text nor the resulting suggestion reaches WhatsApp’s servers, so end-to-end encryption is untouched.
WhatsApp itself hasn’t published details of how text actions work yet. Until it does, that on-device explanation comes from WABetaInfo rather than from the company.
After you use an action, WhatsApp asks whether it was useful. If it wasn’t, you can report that the text was detected wrongly or that you didn’t need the action. Per WABetaInfo, this sends only a feedback flag, not the message itself.
WABetaInfo’s report doesn’t mention a setting to switch the underlines off. If you’d rather keep chats free of extra prompts, our guide to turning off WhatsApp’s recent media suggestions covers another new feature you can disable.
When you’ll get it
The rollout is gradual, and WABetaInfo expects more accounts to get message text actions over the coming weeks. WhatsApp has not said when the feature will reach everyone. You’ll need the latest version from the Play Store or App Store, though updating doesn’t guarantee the feature shows up right away.
Source: WABetaInfo, WhatsApp Blog
