According to a recent report, WhatsApp has launched a new feature that allows some non-enrolled users to participate in its beta program. Previously, a maximum of 10,000 enrolled users received spots through the Google Play Store, which was often full and forced many users to use third-party APKs. This new update aims to get more beta testers for WhatsApp and will give more users early access to use its beta features.

As WABetaInfo reports, the new update of WhatsApp for Android 2.26.2.11, which is available on Google Play Store, allows direct access to use the WhatsApp beta program.

How the feature works

To access the beta program directly from the app, users can open Settings on WhatsApp and look for the “Early access to features” option. The user can then choose whether to continue with the beta program which will provide some features before the official release. They can disable the feature whenever they want to turn off the beta version.

Who can see the feature

It is important to note that this rollout is limited and is available to some non-beta users and some existing beta testers.

Due to a bug, you may face issues while activating the toggle for this feature. Where WhatsApp itself disables the toggle immediately. In this case, there are not many options available. You can wait for WhatsApp to resolve this issue with a new update.

When beta testers encounter serious issues, and WhatsApp releases a beta update, they are often forced to wait for a follow-up update to be approved on the Google Play Store. However WhatsApp can solve serious problems quickly. Therefore, delays in Play Store approval may slow down the rollout of fixes. This could significantly disrupt communications for users who rely on the app daily. A secondary release channel for beta testers could help address this problem by delivering critical updates more quickly.

These features are rolling out slowly, and there is no confirmation available yet for a wider release.