WhatsApp is testing a new group chat icon generator in its iPhone app

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

What you need to know

WhatsApp is testing a new feature that will make it easier for people to create an icon for their group chats.
Users can assign a photo to a group chat today, but expanded editing options are being tested on iPhone.

The popular messaging app WhatsApp is testing a new feature that will make it possible for people to create new, custom icons to help label group chats, according to a new report.

The new feature, says WABetaInfo, will allow people to create custom icons for use with group chats in a way that isn't already possible. Right now, people can assign a photo as a group chat icon, but that's all.

WhatsApp is releasing a new minor feature today: the possibility to quickly create a group icon using an editor! You could create temporary groups and you might have no idea about which icon to use. The group icon editor, available on WhatsApp for iOS, allows you to generate an icon choosing the background color, an emoji or sticker. If you want to test the feature, you need to verify if it's enabled for your WhatsApp account. Open Group Info and tap the camera icon to change the group icon: if you see a new option called "Emoji & Sticker", it means you can start using the feature today.

It's worth noting that the feature will only be available to those who are using the latest WhatsApp TestFlight beta, however.

Whatsapp Group Icon Editor (Image credit: WABetaInfo)

There's currently no indication of when we can expect this feature to come to the App Store version of WhatsApp, but it seems unlikely to be too far away from being ready for primetime. I for one can't wait to give my group chats a new look!

WhatsApp continues to be popular despite its association with Facebook. It helps that it's one of the best iPhone options for anyone wanting to send and receive messages and media with Android owners, too.

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.