WhatsApp is working on a new birthday reminder feature that could make it much easier for users to remember the birthdays of friends, family members, and other saved contacts.
The upcoming feature could display birthday information directly inside WhatsApp, reducing the need to open a separate calendar or contacts application to check important dates.
According to WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is developing birthday reminders for its new Contacts tab. The feature will use birthday information that users have already saved in their phone’s address book.
Therefore, users may not need to create a separate birthday list inside WhatsApp.
When a saved contact celebrates their birthday, WhatsApp could automatically show a cake emoji along with a “Birthday today” message beside that person’s name.
The reminder could remain visible throughout the day, giving users a simple way to notice the occasion and send birthday wishes without relying on another reminder app.
The feature currently remains under development. WhatsApp has not yet made it available to regular users or beta testers, according to the latest information from WABetaInfo.
The company is also working on broader changes to the WhatsApp navigation system.
On iOS, WhatsApp has been developing a new Contacts tab for the bottom navigation bar. The new section could eventually replace the existing Updates tab as the company reorganizes different parts of the application.
Under the proposed design, WhatsApp could move Status updates and Channels into the Chats section while giving Contacts their own dedicated place in the main navigation.
This change could make the Contacts tab much more useful than a simple list of saved phone numbers.
WhatsApp has already explored features that could allow users to see active or recently online contacts from the same section. Birthday reminders would add another useful layer to that experience.
The birthday feature appears relatively simple, but it could become useful for millions of people who regularly communicate with friends and relatives through WhatsApp.
Instead of checking Facebook, a calendar, or another social application for birthday alerts, users could see the reminder directly inside the messaging app they already open several times a day.
WhatsApp plans to connect the feature with birthday information stored in the user’s phone contacts.
For example, if someone has saved a friend’s date of birth in the iPhone Contacts app, WhatsApp could read that information and automatically display the birthday reminder at the appropriate time.
This approach could also make the feature easier to manage.
If users change a birthday date in their phone’s address book, WhatsApp could update the information without requiring them to edit it separately inside the messaging application.
WABetaInfo also reported on September 26 that WhatsApp is developing another feature that could show a contact’s birthday directly on the chat information screen.
This means users may eventually have more than one way to check birthdays inside WhatsApp.
The contact information screen could display a saved birthday whenever users open the details of a conversation.
Meanwhile, the new Contacts tab could provide a more visible reminder when someone’s birthday arrives.
Together, these features could create a more integrated birthday reminder system inside WhatsApp.
The company has not officially confirmed exactly how the final version will look, and features that appear during development can change before public release.
WhatsApp frequently tests interface changes and new tools before deciding whether to release them widely.
Some features reach beta testers first, while others remain under development for several months before appearing in the stable version of the application.
Therefore, users should not expect the birthday reminder option to appear immediately after updating WhatsApp.
WABetaInfo reported that developers discovered the birthday reminder work in WhatsApp beta for iOS version 26.38.10.18. However, the feature itself was still unavailable for beta testers at the time of reporting.
WhatsApp has also been working on navigation changes for Android.
Recent development work includes a redesigned bottom navigation interface that could bring a modern floating navigation bar and make different sections of the app easier to access.
This suggests WhatsApp continues to rethink how users move between chats, contacts, updates, communities, and other features.
However, the exact timing and availability of birthday reminders on Android remain unclear.
The company has not announced a formal rollout schedule for the feature on either iOS or Android.
Birthday reminders could particularly help users who have large contact lists.
Many people save hundreds of contacts for personal relationships, family members, colleagues, clients, classmates, and professional connections. Remembering every birthday can become difficult without a dedicated reminder system.
WhatsApp’s approach could solve part of this problem by using information users have already stored.
As a result, people would not have to manually enter the same birthday information into several applications.
The update could also make WhatsApp more useful as a relationship and communication tool rather than simply a messaging platform.
Over the years, WhatsApp has expanded far beyond basic text messaging.
The Meta-owned platform now supports voice and video calls, Channels, Communities, Status updates, file sharing, payments in selected markets, events, AI-powered features, and several tools for businesses.
Recently, WhatsApp has also expanded its event-related features.
WABetaInfo reported earlier in September that the app introduced a new hub for creating and managing events, allowing some users to organize upcoming activities more easily.
Birthday reminders appear to fit into the same broader strategy of helping users manage personal communication and events without leaving the app.
However, privacy will likely remain an important consideration.
Since the feature relies on birthday information stored in a user’s phone contacts, WhatsApp will need to handle that information according to its privacy and data-access policies.
The current reports indicate that WhatsApp plans to use existing address book information rather than asking users to build a separate birthday database inside the application.
For users, the feature could remain largely automatic.
If a birthday already exists in a saved contact, WhatsApp could show the reminder when that date arrives. If no birthday information exists, users may simply continue seeing the contact normally.
The cake emoji and “Birthday today” label could make the reminder easy to notice without making major changes to the chat experience.
Still, the final design could change before WhatsApp releases the feature publicly.
WhatsApp has not announced an official release date, supported countries, or a complete list of devices that will receive the birthday reminder feature.
For now, the feature remains part of WhatsApp’s ongoing development work.
If the company eventually rolls it out widely, users could gain a simple way to remember birthdays directly from the messaging app they already use every day.
The change may look small, but it could save users from missing an important birthday and make personal communication inside WhatsApp a little more convenient.
