WhatsApp Beta released to Android
Wait a second, you might be saying, hasn't WhatsApp been released to Android for several years? You'd be right, citizen, WhatsApp has been launched on Android for several years. What's being announced this morning is a Beta that's always being updated. Users that wish to participate in testing may do so. WhatsApp Beta can be yours. All you need to do is be OK with your app acting wild without warning. No worries!
This is the first time* that the group responsible for developing WhatsApp have been confident enough in their ecosystem to release a Beta Program to the public. With this program they'll be able to test new features at scale, sending them out to a select number of users in the field before they're administered to the larger public.
*Unless you felt safe enough downloading an APK in the wild, of course.
With this WhatsApp Beta program, you – if you're willing – will be able to gain access to the newest version of WhatsApp at any given time. Newer than standard. Newer than new.
This system requires a user to sign in to Google Play using their Google account. From there, you'll want to visit the WhatsApp testing portal – that's Google Play.
From there, a message will be shown which suggests that "If you already have the WhatsApp Messenger app installed on your device, you'll get an update with the testing version shortly. If you don't have the WhatsApp Messenger app installed, download it on Google Play first, then you'll get an update with the testing version. It can take a few hours for the update to arrive."
You'll also be given the option to leave the program if you wish. A link is provided once you've joined the program, as well as the note: "If you leave the testing program and a public version of the app is available, you can switch to public version by uninstalling the testing version and installing the app again on Google Play."