WhatsApp will soon launch a new feature for 'surprise' messages. Learn how it works.

WhatsApp continues to roll out new features for users. In this series, the company is rolling out a new formatting feature that can hide portions of text within a message. The company has just begun development of this feature, and it hasn't even been rolled out to beta users. However, some information has emerged, including how it will work.

How will the new feature work?

According to reports, this formatting feature will be called Spoiler. It will be placed alongside the existing formatting tools for messages like bold, italic, and strikethrough. When a user marks text and selects this option, the selected text will be hidden behind a gray bar. The other user will need to tap on the hidden section to read it. This feature will be useful for surprising someone or making a message interesting and catchy. Syntax shortcuts can also be provided to use this feature, meaning users can select this format by typing '||text||'.

When could the rollout happen?

Reports suggest the Spoiler feature will initially be available only for text messages. There's no word yet on whether it will be available for images and other messages. Work on this feature has just begun, and images and voice messages may also be added by the time it's launched. However, a launch date hasn't been revealed. WhatsApp tests any new feature first on a beta version and then rolls it out to the public. This process takes a few months. Therefore, the new feature could be rolled out within the next few months.