WhatsApp’s new Contacts Tab is heading to iPhone, and it takes the spot where the Communities tab used to sit.
The new hub shows who’s online without even opening the chat. And it might change how you start conversations in Meta’s popular messaging app.
WhatsApp Contacts tab shows who’s online
The new Contacts Tab, available to some people using the latest WhatsApp beta on iOS, puts online friends, favorites and recently active people front and center. It turns the app’s contacts list into something closer to a live social directory.
It’s a subtle but significant shift. Instead of opening WhatsApp to catch up on messages, users could soon open it to see who’s around and decide whom to contact. As Meta reshuffles the app’s navigation and tucks Communities and other features into secondary menus, the company seems to be betting that making connections easier is more valuable than giving every WhatsApp feature its own button.
Some people using the WhatsApp beta for iOS 26.44.10.70 (available through TestFlight) now see the new Contacts tab in the bottom navigation bar, WABetaInfo reported Tuesday. The rollout seems gradual, though, so not every tester see it yet. In the coming weeks, Meta might roll it out to more beta users.
Favorite contacts sit at the top of the screen, with a full contact list below them. Users can sort that by activity, alphabetical order and birthdays.
The activity view puts online contacts first and marks them with a green dot, followed by recently active contacts that are sorted by last seen. The birthday view lists contacts by whose birthday comes up next.
Communities moves under Chats
Despite the change, WhatsApp’s Communities aren’t going away. WABetaInfo said WhatsApp added a filter in the app’s Chats tab that lets users manage their communities there. That might explain why the dedicated Communities tab is no longer needed.
The Updates tab could be next on Meta’s radar, with WhatsApp swapping it for the Contacts tab in a future update. Status has already moved to the top of the Chats tab, and Channels are expected to get the same treatment.
Privacy settings will still apply. WhatsApp shows last seen and online status only when a contact allows it. If someone hides that information, the tab shows nothing about their activity.
The same tab is also rolling on the Android beta, but there’s currently no date for a public release.
Anurag Chawake is a tech-focused writer specializing in smartphones, apps and consumer technology. His interest in computers began during the Windows 98 era, eventually leading him to explore everything from operating systems to mobile devices and PC hardware. Anurag previously contributed to The Indian Express, covering Apple, Android, gaming and the broader technology landscape.
