Meta-owned WhatsApp constantly adds user-friendly features to enhance the service. Listed below are the most recent and significant features released as well as those still under development
WhatsApp channels
The instant messaging service app is reportedly working on a new feature called "channels", a new one-to-many tool for broadcasting information on iOS.
According to WABetaInfo, WhatsApp plans to rename the Status tab "Updates" in order to include channels within this section.
A WhatsApp channel is a private tool in which phone numbers and user information are always kept private.
Messages received within a channel, on the other hand, are not end-to-end encrypted because the concept of one-to-many makes little sense for channels, according to the report.
Further, the report pointed out that as this is an optional extension of private messaging rather than pivoting to a public social network, people can choose which channels they want to follow and no one else can see who they follow, regardless of whether they have added them as contacts or not.
The channels feature will also accept handles, allowing users to find a certain WhatsApp channel by just typing their username into WhatsApp.
This feature is intended to increase channel accessibility, making it easier for users to receive updates that they like, the report said. Channels are currently under development and they will be released in a future update of the app.
The sticker maker tool allows users to create stickers right within the app.
Save 'disappearing' messages
The Meta-owned company has introduced a 'Keep in Chat' feature that will allow users in a disappearing message thread to long-press a message and choose to save it.
WhatsApp has called this "sender superpower," and it will be the choice of the sender to allow others in the chat to keep certain messages for later.
"Anyone in a disappearing message thread can long press on a message to keep it. The sender will be notified if it was saved and can decide if it stays or remains a disappearing message," Meta Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a statement.
While this extra layer of privacy protects messages from falling into the wrong hands, sometimes there's that occasional voice note or key piece of information you want to keep.
To make this work, the sender will be notified when someone keeps a message, and the sender will have the ability to veto the decision.
"If you've decided your message can't be kept by others, your decision is final, no one else can keep it and the message will be deleted when the timer expires. This way you have the final say on how messages you send are protected," said WhatsApp.
Messages you've saved on your WhatsApp will be noted with a bookmark icon and you can see these messages, organised by chat, in the 'Kept Messages' folder.
The new feature will roll out globally over the next few weeks, said the company.
'Sticker maker' for iOS
The sticker maker tool, along with all the other improvements introduced in the previous beta versions of the app, is finally available for iOS users that install the latest update of WhatsApp from the App Store, according to WABetaInfo.
The sticker maker tool allows users to create stickers right within the app.
The feature provides a more integrated experience for users by eliminating the need to switch between different third-party apps, saving time and making the process faster.
Moreover, the report said that this feature is rolling out to all users on iOS 16, but there are no plans to bring it to older versions of iOS. According to the changelog on the App Store, some customers may receive the feature in the coming weeks, the report said.
The feature provides a more integrated experience for users by eliminating the need to switch between different third-party apps, saving time and making the process faster.
Companion mode
The messaging platform has rolled out the "companion mode" feature to all beta testers in its latest update on Android.
Earlier, the companion mode was only available to a select group of beta testers. This feature, an extension of multi-device support, has been designed to allow users to link their existing WhatsApp account to another mobile phone.
Users who link their existing WhatsApp account to a secondary mobile phone can now access their chats on the second device without needing an active internet connection on their main phone, according to the report.
When users link their WhatsApp account to a new mobile phone, their chat history will be synced across all their linked devices.
Moreover, the report mentioned that, while the companion mode has been made available to all beta testers, some features, such as the ability to manage broadcast lists and post a status update from the linked device, may still be unavailable.
