WhatsApp Tests an Android Contacts Tab With Sorting and Online Status

WhatsApp is testing a dedicated Contacts tab for Android, a change that could make the app’s saved people easier to browse without first opening a chat. The tab takes the place of Communities in the bottom navigation in the version seen by beta testers. It may also gather contact sorting, online status and adding tools in one place, though the feature is still limited and WhatsApp hasn’t shared a release date for everyone.

A new destination in the bottom navigation

The Contacts section has appeared for some users running WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.26.45.2, according to WABetaInfo. In the reported layout, it replaces the Communities tab along the bottom of the app. That makes the change more than a new list buried in settings: it gives contacts a dedicated place in the app’s main navigation.

Today, someone looking to start a conversation generally goes through Chats or searches within WhatsApp. A separate contact list could make that task more direct, particularly for people whose chat list is busy or who haven’t messaged a particular person recently. It also gives WhatsApp room to present contact details and ways to organize people independently of ongoing conversations.

There’s a trade-off in the navigation change. Communities currently has its own prominent place, while the proposed design gives that space to contacts. The report doesn’t explain whether Communities would move elsewhere or how the tab would work for people who use that feature often. Until WhatsApp shares more about the layout, it’s hard to tell how much the change will affect those users.

Sorting could make a long list more useful

The reported design places favourite contacts at the top, with other people listed below. Users may be able to sort the remaining contacts alphabetically, by birthday or by recent activity. These are described as possible options, so their presence in the final version isn’t guaranteed.

An alphabetical list offers a straightforward way to find someone by name. A birthday view could make dates easier to spot, while an activity-based arrangement would put people who are online near the top. In that view, online contacts may have a green indicator beside their names. Other entries could reflect last-seen status, subject to each person’s privacy settings.

That privacy detail matters: the list may not display the same activity information for everyone. The report doesn’t describe every privacy control or explain exactly how those settings would shape the new view. For buyers of the feature, the practical question is whether the sorting options remain helpful when some contacts’ activity isn’t visible.

Contact tools may extend beyond browsing

WABetaInfo also reports that WhatsApp may add a dedicated button for creating a contact. The proposed form could accept a name, username or phone number. If someone is added with a phone number, users may also be able to save the details to their phone’s address book. That could reduce the need to leave WhatsApp and switch to the device’s contacts app during setup.

Other reported possibilities include invitation links for bringing people onto WhatsApp and an option to connect with Instagram followers. A Meta AI shortcut may appear in the section too. These additions would make the tab a broader contact hub, but each remains a reported possibility; the available information doesn’t establish that all of them will ship together.

The combination would also shape how useful the tab feels day to day. A simple alphabetical list serves people who mainly want to find a saved number. Adding, inviting and activity tools could make the section more capable, but the value will depend on how clearly WhatsApp presents them and how much space they take from the contact list.

Availability is still limited

The feature is reaching a limited group through the Google Play beta programme. Installing Android beta version 2.26.45.2 may not be enough to make the tab appear, since access is being enabled for selected users. WhatsApp hasn’t announced when a broader beta rollout will begin, and there’s no confirmed timing for the stable Android app.

For now, the Contacts tab is best understood as a test of how WhatsApp’s main navigation can serve people who use the app as an address book as well as a messaging service. The next useful sign will be whether the sorting and contact-adding options appear for more beta users, and whether Communities retains an easy-to-find place in the redesigned app.