WhatsApp is rolling in-app chat support out to its users

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Whatsapp Group Message on iPhone X
Whatsapp Group Message on iPhone X (Image credit: Luke Filipowicz/iMore)

What you need to know

  • WhatsApp is allowing people to get support via in-app chat.
  • The in-app chat feature was enabled for beta testers previously but was then removed.
  • The feature now seems to be rolling out to everyone, even if they aren't on the beta.

Users of the hugely popular WhatsApp instant messaging service can now get support in-app via a normal chat thread rather than resorting to email. The feature was previously made available to some beta testers before being removed but now seems to be available to people who aren't even running the beta versions of the WhatsApp app.

The initial report of in-app support came via WABetaInfo and includes the backstory of the feature. After making the in-app support available to iPhone beta testers, it was removed for reasons unknown.

Due to some unknown reasons, WhatsApp had to stop providing support right within the app to users, but something is changing today: every time you contact WhatsApp from WhatsApp Settings > Help > Contact Us, WhatsApp may respond to you in a WhatsApp chat again, if you want.

Whatsapp In App Support

Whatsapp In App Support (Image credit: WABetaInfo)

Testing the worfklow mentioned above I was able to get to the same in-app chat option showed in WABetaInfo's screenshot — and I'm using the version of WhatsApp that's currently available in the App Store. That would suggest that the change is rolling out to everyone, regardless of beta status.

WhatsApp is one of the best iPhone apps at what it does and is a great way to chat with people who use other devices — including Android. If you're trying to avoid those dreaded green SMS chat bubbles, WhatsApp is well worth checking out. You can download WhatsApp for free from the App Store now.

Oliver Haslam
Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.