Sylvia Duruson
WhatsApp is introducing a major new feature called “Flows” on its Business platform. Flows will enable customers to seamlessly complete activities like booking appointments and purchasing tickets without leaving the app.
Head of WhatsApp Will Cathcart announced Flows as part of broader improvements coming for business interactions. As more users prefer to finish processes within one platform, Flows seeks to capture relevant activities conveniently.
With Flows, WhatsApp Business aims to facilitate common actions including scheduling appointments, booking tickets, filling out forms, and signing up for events and offers.
While details remain limited, Flows promises to integrate these and potentially more actions directly into business chats. This has the potential to greatly simplify typically complex workflows.
The rollout timeline for Flows is still unclear, but the feature represents WhatsApp’s ongoing evolution beyond just messaging. It follows the recent full launch of Communities for group admins to organize larger discussions.
In related news, WhatsApp is also developing a native iPad app after years confined to the web on iOS tablets. The beta iPad app enables independent messaging without a paired phone.
It additionally syncs chats across the user’s linked devices. However, some features like status updates and live locations are currently unavailable, as beta releases tend to be incomplete. The iPad app provides a long-awaited optimized tablet experience for WhatsApp users.
Between major additions like Flows and the iPad app, WhatsApp continues enhancing its utility for both businesses and general audiences. Flows in particular highlights WhatsApp’s strategy to become an all-in-one platform for customer engagement and transactions.
While questions remain regarding what functions Flows will incorporate, the feature has significant potential to simplify business processes from start to finish. WhatsApp’s relentless improvement ensures it remains a vital communication and now commerce channel worldwide.
