WhatsApp is working on one new feature for Android which could allow users to receive notifications when the birthday of a person in their contacts approaches. The new feature is still in development and has not been made available even to testers of the beta versions. According to what emerged from the beta version of WhatsApp for Android 2.26.27.3the company is reportedly preparing a section dedicated to birthdays, in which users will be able to view upcoming anniversaries associated with their contacts.
The function is based on information that WhatsApp had already started collecting previously: the year of birth of the users. This data was introduced mainly for regulatory reasons, in particular to comply with laws on identifying the age of users of online services. In fact, in some areas of the United States, rules had been approved that require digital platforms to verify the age of subscribers.
Originally, this information had no purpose other than regulatory compliance. The data was not visible to other users and, once entered, could not be modified. Now WhatsApp is considering using this information to also offer a more practical function for users.
WhatsApp and further details on the new function related to birthdays
The new system should show a list of upcoming birthdays and send a notification directly within the app when the anniversary day arrives. This way, users no longer have to rely solely on external calendars or manually remember important dates.
The function, however, will depend on the data availability. A reminder can only be generated for contacts who have shared their date of birth with WhatsApp. Furthermore, the collection of this information is not currently active in all countries.
There are no privacy settings yet that allow you to precisely choose who will be able to see or use this information. However, since it is a function still in the early stages of developmentWhatsApp may introduce additional controls before the official release. The objective of the innovation would be to transform data collected for regulatory needs into a useful tool for improving social interactions on the platform.
