WhatsApp never stops trying to close gaps with competitors, and this time it is addressing one of the most annoying problems in groups: Friends who blurt out critical plot details before you have had a chance to watch the episode. According to a report by WABetaInfo, clear hints of a new feature were found in the latest TestFlight version of the app that will allow users to mark parts of a message as "hidden content" (Spoiler). This is an option that is still under development and is not available to beta testers, but it is already possible to understand how it is expected to work.
The new tool will appear right alongside the familiar formatting options, such as Bold or strikethrough. Once you choose to mark a word or sentence as a spoiler, they will be covered with a dark gray bar. Whoever receives the message will see only this concealment and will be forced to physically tap it in order to "reveal" the content.
For those who prefer to work quickly, WhatsApp is also adding a manual shortcut: Use of two vertical lines (Double Pipes). Simply type ||before and after the text you want to hide||, and the app will automatically turn it into a spoiler. This is a simple and elegant solution that saves the need to use floating menus while typing.
It is important to note that at the moment this capability appears to be limited to text messages only. At WABetaInfo they emphasize that there is still no confirmation that the feature will also be expanded to images or videos, which means that visual spoilers may still "attack" you by mistake.
The fact that the feature was spotted simultaneously in both the Android and iOS versions suggests that the official release is not far off. Although WhatsApp is known for taking its time with lab testing, this time it is a practical addition that truly has been missing here in order to make our groups a slightly more considerate place.