Searching for an old message in a busy WhatsApp chat has always felt like more work than it should be, especially on an iPhone. You have to tap the contact or group name at the top to open the chat info screen, then tap the search button from there, which sends you back into the chat with search mode turned on. According to the WhatsApp beta for iOS 26.31.10.70 on TestFlight, the app is building a dedicated search button that lives directly on the chat screen.