WhatsApp has been testing many new features and designs in recent weeks to improve the user experience.
Most of the changes to the popular messenger app have been received quite positively. However, one new feature appears to have caused serious problems for some users.
WhatsApp introduced a new filter option with the 2.24.12.7 update for Android devices, which should make it possible to filter all chats by unread messages. In addition, only group chats can be displayed on request to improve the overview.
Not a bad idea, but unfortunately this new software update meant that some users were no longer able to use WhatsApp at all. When trying to start the app, it kept crashing.
What initially only affected beta testers of the new feature apparently also extended to members of the public who updated the app. Users of the iOS version are not affected.
It is not clear how many users had the problem in total, as no reports are available. However, due to the high number of WhatsApp users, it could well be many.
WhatsApp update offers a solution
Fortunately, those who were affected by the WhatsApp bug do not have to wait any longer. One of the latest updates for the messenger app should already fix the problem, as the website WABetainfo reports.
Users can install the update immediately by activating the automatic update function for WhatsApp on their device. Alternatively, you can also search for WhatsApp in the Google Play Store to check whether a new update is available. If so, simply tap ‘Update’.
It has been a long time since a small feature caused such serious problems when using WhatsApp. Let’s hope we don’t see anything similar anytime soon.
This article originally appeared on our sister publication PC-WELT and was translated and adapted from German.
Author: Laura Pippig, Staff Writer, PC-WELT
Laura is an enthusiastic gamer as well as a movie and TV fan. After studying communication science, she went straight into a job at PCMagazin and Connect Living. Since then, she has been writing about everything to do with PCs and technology topics, and has been a permanent editor at our German sister site PC-WELT since May 2024.