Forgetting birthdays in the hustle and bustle of everyday life is common, and honestly, it’s okay to miss one sometimes. But forgetting them every time can be a little awkward. Now, WhatsApp may have a solution, as the messaging platform is testing a new feature designed to remind users about their friends’ and family members’ birthdays.
The upcoming feature is reportedly being developed alongside a new Contacts tab, where birthday alerts could appear directly next to people’s names. Under the feature being tested, a contact celebrating their birthday could show up with a cake emoji and a “Birthday Today” label.
SOURCE/WABetaInfo
The reminder could remain visible throughout the day, making it much harder for users to miss the occasion while browsing their contacts. In other words, that awkward “Sorry, I completely forgot!” message could soon become much less common.
WhatsApp may make the feature even more convenient by using birthday information already saved in the iPhone’s Contacts app. That means users may not have to manually enter every birthday into WhatsApp or maintain a separate reminder list. If a birthday is already saved against a contact, WhatsApp could use that information to trigger the reminder.
The birthday feature is reportedly part of a wider redesign of WhatsApp’s iOS interface. The existing Updates tab could be replaced by a dedicated Contacts tab, while Status updates and Channels could move into the Chats section.
This would give the Contacts section a much more prominent role inside the app.
Reports also indicate that WhatsApp is testing another birthday-related option that could display a birthday field inside a contact’s information screen. This would allow users to check a saved birthday before the actual day arrives, with the information linked to the phone’s address book.
The feature is currently under development, and WhatsApp has not announced a final release date for all users. The design and functionality could also change before a wider rollout.
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