Like many apps, WhatsApp offers a beta program for its nearly 3 billion users to try out features that are still in development. However, recently several Android users have run into an alarming bug with the popular messaging service's latest beta that renders the app useless.
The latest beta adds several notable features such as the option to delete the preset chat filter, use “Add Yours” interactive stickers for Status updates, and search within channels on Android. But while checking out experimental new features ahead of their full release can be fun, obviously it comes with some risks as developers are still uncovering potential bugs.
As first spotted by Android Police, users of WhatsApp beta version 2.24.24.5 are reporting an issue where, when they try to open any chat, a solid block of green appears and makes the app unusable. The good folks at Android Police ran into a similar issue with the app force closing on startup despite repeated attempts to reopen it.
The new whatsapp beta update is causing the entire screen in green while clicking on any chat.@WhatsApp @wa_statusPlease fix it ASAP. pic.twitter.com/8rlzqa7ZY7November 9, 2024
How to fix WhatsApp beta green-screen bug
Thankfully, the bug seems to be isolated to beta version 2.24.24.5. The app should continue to run smoothly on the latest stable build, so the solution for now seems to be uninstalling the beta version and instead using the latest stable version from the Google Play Store.
Some users have reported that the typical fixes like restarting your phone, clearing your cache, or force-stopping the app haven't been enough to do the trick, which implies this is an underlying bug that the developers will need to address. Given the number of users reporting the issue on social media, it's likely the app's developers have taken note of the bug and will roll out a fix shortly.
