WhatsApp adds smart text actions for numbers, emails, dates and addresses

WhatsApp is rolling out smart text actions that recognise phone numbers, email addresses, dates and locations in messages. The feature is gradually arriving on Android and iOS, and lets users act on that information without copying text or switching apps.

The Meta-owned messaging platform says the tool uses automatic text recognition. When it detects supported information, it places a dotted underline beneath the text. Tapping the underlined text opens a menu of available actions.

What users can do

For phone numbers, users can copy the number, save a contact, make a regular call or view available business information. Dates and times can be copied, added to a calendar or used to create WhatsApp events. Physical addresses can be copied or opened in a mapping application. Email addresses can be copied or opened in the user's preferred email app.

The shortcuts work on both incoming and outgoing messages. A customer who receives a business phone number on WhatsApp can save the contact or start a call without manually entering the digits. A user who receives a meeting date or delivery address can create a reminder or open the location in a maps app.

Privacy and rollout

According to WABetaInfo, the feature highlights recognised information with a dotted underline. WhatsApp says the functionality works directly on users' devices without transmitting message content to its servers. The system uses pattern-matching technology to identify recognised text formats locally. WhatsApp says this means the feature does not interfere with its existing end-to-end encryption.

Users can also give feedback on whether a suggested action was useful. If a suggestion is wrong, they can report the problem without sharing the actual message content.

The update complements WhatsApp's recently introduced Events hub, which allows users to create, organise and review events from the app's settings. The feature is rolling out gradually to users on recent versions of WhatsApp for Android and iOS. Not everyone will receive it at the same time. Nigerian users who cannot see the dotted underlines may need to update the app and wait for the phased rollout. WhatsApp has not announced a specific date for nationwide or global availability.

What it means for Nigerian users

The feature could simplify communication for Nigerian entrepreneurs, online vendors and everyday users who exchange payment contacts, delivery locations and appointment details on WhatsApp. It recognises information written in messages. It does not automatically reveal a sender's private phone number or email address if those details were not shared.

WhatsApp is also developing new payment features for Android and iOS, while Google Pay is expanding its presence in Nigeria through partnerships with major commercial banks.