WhatsApp is testing a dedicated Contacts tab in its Android app, giving users a separate place to browse people, check who is online and invite contacts to join the service. The feature is currently limited to the latest beta version available through the Google Play Store for enrolled testers.

Because the tab is still under development, WhatsApp has not made it available to everyone. Its final design and functionality could change before a wider release.

What the new WhatsApp Contacts tab shows

The Contacts tab appears in the Android app’s navigation bar. It displays a list of people from the user’s contacts and marks those currently online with a green dot.

The list also includes birthday reminders. When a contact’s birthday falls on the current day, WhatsApp displays a cake emoji and a “Birthday today” label next to that person’s name. The birthday information is taken automatically from the phone’s existing contacts.

WhatsApp also provides an option to invite people who do not yet use the messaging service. The feature is intended to make it easier to find contacts who are already on WhatsApp and add others who are not.

Search and sorting options

A search bar at the top of the tab lets users look for contacts by name, phone number or username. This could make the new section more useful for larger contact lists, particularly when a person’s saved name is difficult to remember.

Users can also sort the list in two ways. An activity-based view places contacts who are online first, while an alphabetical option arranges the list by name.

Online status remains limited by privacy settings

The online indicator does not override WhatsApp’s privacy controls. People who have disabled their last seen status will not appear as online in the Contacts list.

That limitation means the tab will show availability only for contacts whose settings allow it. The feature therefore combines contact management with information WhatsApp already exposes through its presence and privacy system, rather than creating a separate way to identify someone’s activity.

WhatsApp has not confirmed when the Contacts tab will reach the stable Android app or whether the same design will come to other platforms. For now, access requires the relevant beta build and enrollment in WhatsApp’s Android testing program.