All the new additions in WhatsApp over the last few months have made the experience for users considerably better, and it seems we have only seen the tip of the iceberg as WhatsApp continues to make more changes, both big and small.
Recently, it was discovered that WhatsApp is testing a feature that allows users to search for messages by date in the desktop/web client. Searching by date has also been possible on the iOS version of the app, and finally, it's arriving on the Android version with the latest WhatsApp beta (version 2.23.24.16).
The feature does exactly what its name suggests – when searching for messages inside conversations, you now have a calendar icon that lets you select the date, month, and year so you can narrow down your search criteria. Search in WhatsApp conversations has long been one of the weaker parts of the app, and the search-by-date feature should help improve it ever so slightly.
If you have joined the WhatsApp beta program, the latest beta update will be waiting for you in the Google Play Store. However, you may not see the search by date option even after updating, as WhatsApp doesn't make new test features available to all users at the same time but rolls them out in phases over a few days and weeks.