WhatsApp has been adding several new features focused on improving groups and communities on its platform since late last year. Earlier this year, we saw the Meta-owned messaging giant add support for up to 32 users for group calls along with a new UI. Additionally, we saw the company test a new group poll feature and the ability to leave a group silently. And now, WhatsApp is developing another group-centric feature that will enable group admins to manually approve memberships. Here are the details!
According to a recent report by reputable WhatsApp beta tracker WABetaInfo, the admin approval feature for memberships was spotted in the latest WhatsApp Android beta version 2.22.14.6. With this update, WhatsApp has added new gender-neutral emojis and a new “Group Membership Approval” feature that prevents users from joining a WhatsApp group via an invite link without the approval of the group admin.
After enabling the new feature for a group, users who get an invite link to join the WhatsApp group will need manual approval by the group admins. In fact, admins will get a new dedicated section to manage incoming joining requests from users on the group info page.
