WhatsApp wants to add additional formatting functionality to the chat service, so that users can share quotes, code, and lists with each other more easily. WABetaInfo reports this based on the beta version of the desktop client.

The three new features are Code Block, Quit Quote, and Bullet Point List view. Code Block can be invoked by placing text inside the characters ‘ ‘, and allows users to share simpler, more readable code with each other.

The quote block feature allows users to type text, which then appears as a quote block within the message. For example, users can indicate more explicitly that they are responding to a specific piece of text, rather than the current quote function, which quotes the entire message. The quote block can be called in beta using the > character.

The third new function is the list view, which can be called up with the – sign. The text after this character appears as a bullet point in the message. WABetaInfo, which is often the first site to discover new WhatsApp features that will later come to stable versions, says Android and iOS versions of WhatsApp will also get the new layout features. It is not clear when coordination functions should appear.