WhatsApp Develops Birthday Alerts to Reduce Facebook Visits

WhatsApp is working on a new feature that will notify users of their contacts' birthdays directly within the app, according to WABetaInfo. Currently under development for Android, the feature will create a dedicated section displaying upcoming birthdays and send alerts, allowing users to send greetings via chat without relying on external calendars or Facebook. This update aims to provide a practical use for birthdate information that WhatsApp has previously collected primarily for legal compliance, especially in regions with age verification laws.

The birthday alerts will only work for contacts who have shared their birthdate with WhatsApp, and the app does not request this information universally. Privacy controls for this feature have not yet been introduced, leaving open questions about whether users can hide their birthdate from contacts. Since the feature is still in early stages and not available to beta testers, WhatsApp may add privacy settings before the official launch.

Birthday reminders are common on social networks and messaging apps, but WhatsApp’s integration could reduce users’ need to visit Facebook, which many currently use mainly for birthday notifications. No official release date has been announced, and the feature is expected to roll out gradually to more users and testers in the future.