Popular messaging service WhatsApp will be adding Protect Backup and Advanced search as new features, according to WABetaInfo.
WABetaInfo has detailed new features available in the latest WhatsApp beta update for Android.
The features were added in beta version 2.20.117 and are currently under development. A release date has not yet been made available.
These features are currently not available in commercial versions of the app, but beta features indicate what can be expected in official future updates.
Users are advised to be patient as Google will roll out the futures in due time. The update also fixed a critical bug that caused the app to crash.
Advanced search
In the WhatsApp beta for iOS 2.20.30.25, WhatsApp has enabled the Advanced Search Mode feature, allowing users to quickly find any type of media easily.
In the new 2.20.117 beta, WhatsApp started to work on the same feature for Android.
This feature will be available in a future update.
Protect Backup
There will also be the possibility to protect your backup on Google Drive, using a passcode, in the 2.20.73 beta update.
The feature is still under development, but in this update WhatsApp has introduced the field where to paste your password.
However, it is to be noted that the password is not saved in WhatsApp or Facebook servers, so if you will lose the password you cannot recover your chat history from the backup.
At the moment, users can configure auto-download settings in WhatsApp Settings > Chats Settings.
Now, WhatsApp is introducing a new rule that will be always enabled by default in the next updates: frequently forwarded images, videos, documents and voice messages will be never automatically downloaded from WhatsApp.