WhatsApp is arguable the most popular messaging app worldwide, with only China being an exception. The Facebook-owned app has been on an update spree introducing many new features to enable the users to do much more with WhatsApp than just sending and receiving messages.
Some of the latest changes being brought about are discussed here
Group audio calls:
Group video calls with the maximum of 4 persons is already in the pipeline. Group audio calls are also being attempted now and is under testing on iOS devices. It will not be long before the feature is tested and released for Android users too. This will directly the impact the telecom operators since the normal con-calls can get dumped to switch to the WhatApp audio calls. The maximum number of people allowed in this facility is yet to be ascertained.
Click to chat
‘Click to chat’ is a new feature being tried now and may be made available to the users soon. This is basically aimed at having one-off conversation with someone whose number does not figure in your list of contacts.
Till now, one had to save any new number in the contacts and then only invite the person to join a chat. What if you wished to just convey something to another person and you are not keen on saving his or her number? The new feature ‘Click to chat’ is going to directly address this issue and you will feel comfortable that you are not adding unwanted contacts on to your phone. The feature will be enabled through a link within the app that will help you have this chat and be done with it.
Meanwhile Facebook has also added a new facility of sending a link to WhatsApp without having to go through the share option and keep clicking to get the link shared.
Select all
Yet another addition could be the option ‘Select all’. With this one club messages that you intend reading later and label them unread or for deleting them from the chat.
Media Visibility
And a feature that is already present on iOS devices and will soon be seen on the Android phones also is Media Visibility. This is going to empower the user to decide if the images and audio and video clippings on WhatsApp messages should be automatically added to Gallery or not.
WhatsApp has created an account information report that the user can request and receive. The report will be readied by WhatsApp in 3 days and it allows the users to share the same with some other app if required.