WhatsApp beta for iOS gets Message Reaction notification toggle, feature might come soon

The meta-owned instant messaging platform WhatsApp is testing Message Reactions for iOS. As and when the feature rolls out in a stable update, iOS users will be able to react to WhatsApp messages that they receive in a group or a personal chat. The Message Reaction feature has been around for a while and it is already present on another messaging platform called Telegram and Meta-owned social media platforms such as Instagram and Messenger. 

The feature was spotted by WABetaInfo in the WhatsApp version 22.2.72 for iOS devices. However, the current beta version does not contain the feature to react to messages yet. It only contains a setting to manage notifications related to Message Reactions. This indicates that the feature will be available soon for iOS devices. Once available, users will be able to react to a message with the help of a set of emojis. 

The iOS beta for WhatsApp has received a toggle for enabling the feature

As shown in the screenshot attached below, the Settings menu on WhatsApp for iOS contains a toggle that areas Reaction notifications. The toggle is available for message notifications in personal chats and group notifications. Those using WhatsApp on iOS already have the other settings shown in the screenshot, such as the option to show notifications and assign a notifications sound to it. Only the reaction notifications toggle appears to be new. In future, users might get the feature with a WhatsApp iOS update.  

WhatsApp was first reported to be working on the message reaction feature in August 2021, wherein a report by WABetaInfo suggested that the company is planning to add Message Reactions for both Android and iOS devices. Since then, it has been six months and the feature has not been released yet. However, it does like the feature will make to iOS devices soon. Additionally, since WhatsApp provides a similar experience on both Android and iOS devices, Message Reactions should come to Android soon after its debut on WhatsApp on iPhone. 

Recently, WhatsApp has released a new feature for Business accounts called the WhatsApp Businesses Nearby. The feature enables a user to search for businesses such as grocery stores, apparel and clothing and restaurants nearby, hence it is named Businesses Nearby Search. When the feature was first spotted by WABetaInfo, there was little to no information about its global availability. However, now the feature is rolling out to both iOS and Android users. Whether the feature will make it to the regular WhatsApp app or not is still not known.