Meta-owned WhatsApp is reportedly planning to replace the green verification badge with a blue checkmark for verified channels on Android.
According to WABetaInfo, the change will also apply to verified businesses.
This is not surprising, especially given Meta Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg's recent announcement about the ability for businesses on WhatsApp to subscribe to Meta Verified in the future, which would provide them with a verification badge as well as several benefits such as impersonation protection and dedicated tech support.
Moreover, the report mentioned that Meta wants to standardise the colour of the verification checkmark across all of its apps, as it is blue on Instagram and Facebook.
WhatsApp could create a consistent visual identity across Meta platforms by aligning the verification badge colour with Meta's branding and changing it to blue, the report added. The blue checkmark for verified channels and businesses is under development and it will be available in a future update of the app.
Meanwhile, WhatsApp is reportedly rolling out a new feature designed to keep channel creators informed about the status of their channels on Android, especially when they are closed in specific countries.
This move comes in response to local laws requiring the platform to restrict access to specific content within certain regions.
This feature will allow WhatsApp to notify the channel creator if their channel's visibility is restricted in certain countries due to legal requirements.