WhatsApp users will soon be able to report specific messages on the platform in addition to existing report individuals and businesses option on the basis of the entire chat. WhatsApp is currently testing new features with beta users on iPhone and Android devices. This feature is important as spam messages are common on WhatsApp despite its reporting individuals’ features.
App tracker WABetaInfo reported that the WhatsApp for iOS beta versions 2.21.190.12 and 2.21.190.11 have carried the option to let users report specific messages on the platform. The app will forward only the reported message to WhatsApp and notify the sender about the report.
Although nothing is clear about how WhatsApp will do it if it will read recent messages of chat to report them but a report by ProRepublica suggests a certain amount of moderation will be done.
The new reporting process is not like the existing reporting user one where the last five messages are reported. Here when a user taps on a message, the report option appears with Star, Reply, forward, copy and delete. The feature is now available for beta users. The function is apparently available for recent WhatsApp beta releases as well. The feature is said to be available on WhatsApp for Android beta version 2.21.20.1 for a large number of beta testers, though some on the previous version 2.21.19.15 are also able to spot it on their phones.
WhatsApp has also earlier made several attempts to improve its reporting feature to overcome abuse and spam messages, but still, abusers and spammers are quite rampant on the platform.
