This WhatsApp feature will allow users to search messages by date: Check details

WhatsApp Update: The Meta-owned messaging application WhatsApp is reportedly testing a new feature which will allow users to search particular messages by date within the chat box. With this feature, users will be able to scroll back to any conversation from any particular date in the personal or group chat window. The messaging applications is currently rolling out the new feature for some WhatsApp beta for iOS users.

"Thanks to this feature, it will be easier for users to jump to a certain date within a conversation. In reality, this feature was under development two years ago but WhatsApp only recently returned to develop it again. Today, after releasing the latest WhatsApp beta for iOS 22.24.0.77 update on the TestFlight app, some beta testers can finally use this feature in their chats and groups," WAbetaInfo, a website that tracks WhatsApp, reported. 

As per the screenshot shared by WAbetaInfo, you need to use the search feature in a conversation: in case a calendar icon shows up, it means the feature is enabled for your WhatsApp account.  You can jump to a date to discover which messages have been shared within a certain conversation, and you can even jump to the first message.

If the calendar icon doesn’t appear it will be released to more users at a later date. The ability to search for messages by date has been released to some lucky beta testers after installing the latest beta update from the TestFlight app and it is rolling out to more users over the coming weeks. 

In related news, WhatsApp on Wednesday said it banned 23.24 lakh accounts in India in October, including 8.11 lakh accounts which were barred proactively before being flagged by users.

The number of accounts blocked in October was about 13 per cent less than the 26.85 lakh accounts the messaging platform banned in September.

“Between 1 Oct, 2022 and 31 Oct, 2022, 2,324,000 WhatsApp accounts were banned. 811,000 of these accounts were proactively banned, before any reports from users. An Indian account is identified via a +91 phone number,” WhatsApp said in the India Monthly Report under the Information Technology Rules 2021 for the month of October.