WeChat suddenly updated, changing in many unexpected ways

Just yesterday (September 27th), WeChat's Android platform welcomed the 8.0.53 beta update, and through our IT House App's capture of the installation package, we found out that the file size for this update is 260.77 MB.

Sharp-eyed users may have already noticed that this Android update is a bit unusual because the version number is actually 8.0.53.

It's worth noting that the previous official version on Android was 8.0.51, meaning that this time a version was skipped.

Furthermore, the current version on iOS is 8.0.52. iOS updates have always been ahead of Android by a week, but this time, Android has taken a step ahead with the new version.

Along with the unusual version number, this wave of updates is quite substantial. After testing, a total of 4 changes were found, but there is also one regrettable aspect.

Next, let me provide a detailed analysis of the Android 8.0.53 beta update for users.

01.

Added display of friend's add time

The first change in this Android beta version is similar to the change in iOS 8.0.52 official version, which is the addition of displaying the friend's add time.

The path to check is simple. In the chat interface, click on the friend's avatar, or click on the friend in the contact list to enter the friend's information details page, then click on "More Information".

In the new interface, you will see the "Add Time" section, with the year and month of the addition displayed.

Thanks to this feature, you can now know the time when the "story began" with a certain friend.

02.

Subscription account interface redesign

A change in expanding the coverage of grayscale testing, which I have introduced to you in previous articles and tweets, let's briefly go over it again today.

In the subscription account interface, after clicking on a public account in "Frequently Read", accompanied by a slight vibration, you will seamlessly enter the "Frequently Read" interface, no longer redirecting to the homepage of the public account, but directly displaying the historical tweets of that account below.

The selected public account will have a bold font for the name, an additional gray circle around the icon, and a green circular symbol in the upper right corner indicating new tweets 01.

The style of the tweet area is consistent with the original interface, displaying only the covers and titles of the first two tweets of the day, with the rest collapsed; however, the timeline is no longer chaotic, but arranged in reverse chronological order from new to old.

When exiting the interface, it will not return to the main WeChat chat interface, but to the original subscription account interface, and there will be no vibration when swiping right to exit the interface, while clicking the "×" in the top left corner will trigger a vibration.

02.

New Translation Feature in Mini Programs

Similar to the previous feature, the new translation feature in mini programs is also transitioning from a grayscale test to an internship.

In any mini program interface, clicking the "..." in the top right corner and scrolling to the bottom options, you will see the "Translation" option.

If the original language detected is the same as the current language of WeChat, a prompt to "Change Translation Language" will pop up, allowing for language switching in multiple languages.

After translation, if you want to change or cancel, the options are also located in the top right corner under "..." .

03.

Renaming of Card Package

In May of this year, WeChat initiated a grayscale test, renaming the "Card Package" in the "Me" interface to "Orders and Card Package".

In addition to the renaming, there have been some adjustments to the functionality, retaining the original membership cards, coupons, gift cards, and tickets, while adding "My Orders".

In this test version, according to blogger @Mr. Dawu's post, WeChat has once again changed the name to "Small Store Orders and Card Package".

Whether there have been any functional adjustments remains unknown for now, and it is unclear whether the renaming will be rolled out on a large scale in the future.

04.

Live Photos Not Yet Launched

On September 19, IT Home reported that the "WeChat Pai" official account announced the official launch of the live photo feature in WeChat Moments, which is gradually rolling out in versions of WeChat iOS 8.0.51 and above.

iPhone users who have been covered can select live photos in Moments, which will include dynamic visuals and sound when posted.

Of course, users can also turn off the live switch on individual photos to post static images.

Many Android users are also eagerly anticipating the feature of "posting live photos in Moments".

In response to a query from a netizen "What about Android, we are eager," the WeChat Pai official account replied at the time: "Promise me, just wait a little longer."

Unfortunately, in this 8.0.53 beta version, this feature has not been launched yet, and Android users will have to wait patiently.

06.

Hurry up and release version 9.0.

The above are the update details of WeChat Android 8.0.53 beta version. It's rare that Android can once again say "far ahead" to iOS in terms of version number.

Considering that iOS just received the official update of 8.0.52 on September 20, it is estimated that Android's lead can be maintained for several days.

However, whether it's 8.0.52 or 8.0.53, what everyone is more concerned about is when version 9.0 will be launched.

With only 3 months left until the end of 2024, let's see if 2025 will come first, or WeChat 9.0 will be released first