According to information surfaced by WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is currently developing a feature that allows users to highlight and copy only selected portions of a chat message instead of copying the full text. This will let users tap and drag to select specific words or sentences, offering a more precise way to extract and share important information.

However, it’s important to note that the feature is still under development and is not yet available even to beta testers. If you’ve installed version 2.25.18.3 and don’t see anything new, you’re not missing anything; WhatsApp has not enabled this feature in the current build.

Already on iOS — Android Next?

The same feature has already been rolled out on WhatsApp for iOS (version 25.16.81), where it allows users to tap and hold a message and then highlight only the part they want to copy. The goal is to offer Android users the same convenience in a future update, ensuring consistency across platforms.

Whatsapp Chat Message Selection: How It Will Work?

When this feature is finally introduced:

• Users will be able to tap and hold a chat message.

• A new interface will allow them to drag across specific text to select only a portion of it.

• This feature will work across individual, group, and channel chats.

Currently, users must copy the entire message and manually delete unwanted parts, a process the upcoming tool aims to eliminate.

The functionality is expected to depend on a new context menu and redesigned message interface for Android, which were first mentioned in the 2.23.11.4 beta update. This interface is already available on iOS, and its implementation on Android will likely be a prerequisite for enabling partial text selection.

Until the new message menu is released, Android users will not see this partial selection option, even in beta.

As always, beta updates hint at what’s ahead, and this one shows WhatsApp is committed to improving the way users interact with messages. While you won’t see the partial selection feature just yet, its appearance in the codebase suggests that a smoother, more precise copy-paste experience is on the horizon for Android users.