WhatsApp is testing a new Birthday Reminder feature in its Android beta version that could send in-app notifications for contacts' birthdays and display a dedicated list of upcoming birthdays. The feature is currently under development and is not yet available to users, including beta testers.
According to reports, WhatsApp is developing the Birthday Reminder feature for its Android beta version to help users remember the birthdays of friends and family members. The feature is expected to notify users within the app when a contact's birthday arrives and provide a separate list of upcoming birthdays.
The feature was first identified in WhatsApp Android beta version 2.26.27.3. According to a report by WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is preparing to add a dedicated section where users can view all upcoming birthdays of their contacts in one place, eliminating the need to rely on separate calendar or reminder applications.
If the feature is rolled out, users will receive a notification on the contact's birthday and will be able to open the relevant chat directly from the notification to send birthday wishes.
According to the report, the Birthday Reminder feature will work only for contacts who have shared their date of birth with WhatsApp. The company may use data already collected for age verification in certain countries and U.S. states.
However, WhatsApp does not currently require users to provide their date of birth in most countries. As a result, the company may introduce an option allowing users to add their date of birth voluntarily so the Birthday Reminder feature can be used more widely.
No official details have been announced regarding privacy controls for the feature. The report states that users currently may not have the option to choose who can view or hide their date of birth.
Additional privacy settings may be added before the feature is released. WhatsApp has not announced a launch date, and the feature is expected to be introduced through a future Android update after testing is completed.
