WhatsApp's new head of development says the app should get simpler, add bill payments and travel SIMs inside chats, and use AI so you never miss a booking.
WhatsApp's new head of development wants the app to be easier to use and to handle everyday tasks without sending people elsewhere. Kunal Shah shared a plan in a note on Tuesday. It points to paying bills, getting loans and buying a travel SIM inside a chat, plus AI that helps you never miss a booking or an appointment.
Shah took over leadership of the app's development from Will Cathcart earlier this year. WhatsApp is used by over 3 billion people. It has added communities, channels, stories and business features over time, and many people find it hard to navigate. Shah says he spent recent months listening to users. His note sets out three goals.
The first goal builds on how people already use the app. WhatsApp users send over 10 billion voice messages and over 4 billion stickers every day.
Shah wrote that too many things start in a chat and end with many more steps somewhere else. His examples were paying a bill, borrowing money and staying connected when you travel. WhatsApp is working with financial services and telecom partners. TechCrunch reads this as pointing to bill payment, loans and eSIM purchases. An eSIM is a phone plan stored digitally, so no physical SIM card is needed.
WhatsApp already offers an AI assistant that can summarize messages and create drafts. Shah's note goes further. He says AI should quietly find what you need and get things done. It is not clear whether WhatsApp will use its Muse agent, an AI tool, to gather information and send reminders.
Shah said trust matters more than any new feature. He wrote that WhatsApp must stay simple, reliable and private. Personal messages and calls remain end-to-end encrypted, which means only the people in the chat can read or hear them. He said that is not changing.
The note sets a direction, not a launch. It does not name the partners, say which countries will get the new features, or give dates. It also does not say what any of the payment, loan or SIM services would cost. Until WhatsApp shares details, these remain plans, not products you can use.
WhatsApp plans to add bill payments, loans, travel SIMs and AI reminders inside chats, but no partners or dates are set, and personal messages stay encrypted.
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