WhatsApp to begin warning people when they receive messages from businesses

Popular instant messaging platform WhatsApp is testing a new feature that will see people receive a new warning message when they receive a message from a business that isn't in their contacts. When the message is received, people will see a new interface and be given the option to either block the business entirely or add them to their contacts.

The new feature, which was reported by WABetaInfo, is currently being tested by a portion of people who are part of the WhatsApp TestFlight beta program.

As you can see in this screenshot, when you receive a message from unknown business accounts, a different and updated view is shown: this view explains that you have received a message from a business that's not saved in your contact list. In this case, you can choose between two different options: block or save in your contact list.

The redesigned view is available to specific beta testers, and more activations will be following in the next updates.

Source: WABetaInfo

WhatsApp is already one of the best iPhone apps for sending and receiving instant messages, especially with those using Android devices. New features like this are most welcome and will only strengthen the app's place on many Home screens.

It's also important to remember that this feature us currently available in beta and there is no telling when, if ever, it'll be made available to everyone. However, WhatsApp is normally pretty good at getting these things through the beta channel and into the App Store.