New WhatsApp updates: Message yourself, profile picture in a group, disappearing messages, and more
A closer look at some of the new features introduced by the Meta-owned messaging platform
Meta-owned messaging platform WhatsApp users have recently received a number of new features from the platform. WhatsApp has been working on a number of new tools and features for its global users.
The updated version of WhatsApp is now available on the App Store or Play Store. Let’s take a closer look at some of the new features introduced by the platform.
Message Yourself
Users can now send messages to their own phone number with the new feature. Important notes or media can be saved. Furthermore, all of your media and chats in the ‘Message Yourself’ Chat will be delivered to all of your linked devices, allowing you to access them from any device at any time.
How it works
- Open ‘New’ chat
- At the top of your list of contacts, you will see your name with the text Message yourself.
- Select your profile to open a new chat and start messaging yourself.
Forward a message to yourself
- Open the chat with the message you want to forward to yourself.
- Hover over the message > click the arrow icon > Forward message icon> .
- Search for your name or phone number > click send icon.
Disappearing messages
Meta-owned messaging platform has started to roll out a new disappearing messages shortcut on Android beta. After downloading the latest WhatsApp beta for Android 2.22.25.11 update, some users were able to access the new feature, reports WhatsApp beta tracker website WABetaInfo. This shortcut will roll out to more users over the coming days.
Here’s how it will work: The new shortcut is placed within the ‘Manage Storage’ section and is marked as a tool to save space. The new section makes it easy to mark old and new chats as disappearing threads. Users can even use disappearing messages to automatically delete media after a particular amount of time, the report said.
Display profile pictures in group
Users can now more easily recognize group members thanks to this recent update. The display image of the group members is now shown to users along with the text bubble.
Call Link feature
From the Calls tab, WhatsApp users may now create and share a WhatsApp call link that will allow other users to join the call directly from their personal or group chats.
To send a call link
- Tap the Calls tab
- Tap Create Call Link
- Select your call type, video or voice.
- Tap Share Link or Copy Link and send it in WhatsApp or another app
Note:
- Links expire if they have been unused for 90 days.
- Links can also be revoked by WhatsApp for privacy and security reasons.
- WhatsApp call links are currently only supported on mobile devices.
New features for Group admins
• Anyone leaving the group will now only be informed by the group admins.
• Messages from group members may now be deleted by group admins if they are deemed offensive or inappropriate. Whoever removed the message is visible to all participants.
• WhatsApp raises the group size cap to 512 users and will soon allow 1024 users.
Undo ‘Delete for me’
With WhatsApp, people can instantly revert the ‘Delete for Me’message. In order to recover the delete for me message, assuming you chose the ‘Delete for Me’ option rather than the ‘Delete for Everyone’ option:
How it works: Check the message you accidentally deleted for yourself in WhatsApp chat. You will notice a ‘Undo’ button. Tap the ‘Undo’ button to recover your message.
Digital avatars
On WhatsApp, people can now use their personalised avatars as profile photos or choose from one of 36 custom stickers reflecting many different emotions and actions. Your avatar is a digital version of you that can be created from billions of combinations of diverse hair styles, facial features, and outfits. The company said that it will continue to deliver style enhancements including lighting, shading, hair style textures, and more that will make avatars even better over time. Meta has also announced to add legs to its virtual avatars which are not yet on its VR platform Horizon Worlds, and may arrive early next year.
Steps to create an avatar
- Go to settings
- Tap Avatar > Create your avatar
- Follow the steps to create your avatar. (Choose your skin tone, hairstyle, hair colour, face shape, outfit and other features.)
- Tap on done.
Avatar as profile photo
- Go to WhatsApp settings
- Tap your profile photo > Edit > Edit
- Go to use avatar and tap on done
How to delete an avatar
- Go to your settings
- Tap avatar > Delete avatar
- Tap delete.
21 new emojis
Meta-owned messaging platform WhatsApp has started working on 21 new emojis for the future update of the application. The messaging platform also redesigned eight emojis which are already visible in the beta version, reports WABetaInfo. In the latest beta build available on the Play Store, eight emojis have been updated, and 21 new emojis will soon be made available to all beta testers.
Picture-in-picture mode
WhatsApp has started to roll out picture-in-picture mode for the video calls on iOS beta. It allows users to use other applications while placing a video call on WhatsApp. When you multitask with other applications, a picture-in-picture view will appear instantly if the capability is enabled for your account. Users can also choose to temporarily disable the video call view since it involves the use of official iOS APIs (Application programming interface). The new feature will be released to more users over the coming days, the report said.
If the picture-in-picture feature is not working for you, you may need to enable it in the WhatsApp app.
- Go to Settings > Apps and notifications > WhatsApp > Advanced > Picture-in-picture
- Do not forget to update the WhatsApp application. You could also try clearing the cache.
- Tap settings > Apps and notifications > WhatsApp > Storage and cache > Clear cache.
Business directory
Last month, platform WhatsApp had launched a yellow pages-style business directory in five countries. The feature rolled out across Brazil, the UK, Indonesia, Mexico and Colombia. According to the company, the directory would help users to either search directly to find companies that are contactable on the service or browse by business types such as travel or banking.
Some requirements must be met:
- Use the most recent WhatsApp update available on the Play Store and App Store once the feature is publicly available.
- Include all relevant information about your company in your Business Profile.
- Set the privacy setting for your “Profile Picture” to “everyone.”
- User is required to have a business license. WhatsApp will provide more information once the Business Directory is available.
- If you meet the requirements, you can apply for free membership in the WhatsApp Business Tools Settings.
Chatlist filters
WhatsApp Chatlist filters now allow users to search a chat list to quickly view specific messages or media from contacts or filter all the unread messages. The new feature make it particularly easy to find things like photos, GIFs, links, and documents. The filter icon is available near the search bar in iPhones, Android phones or WhatsApp web.
To filter unread chats
- Open the WhatsApp Business app > Tap Search.
- Note: If your device is an iPhone, you may need to swipe down on the Chats screen first.
- Select a filter from the dropdown list that you’d like to apply.
- Note: Filters can’t be deleted or altered.
Communities
WhatsApp is globally rolling out a feature called Communities to organie various chat groups in larger structures, as well as other features such as bigger group video calls and in-chat polls, the messaging service owned by Meta Platforms said.
With Communities, WhatsApp said it is aiming to raise the bar for how organisations communicate with a level of privacy and security not found anywhere else.
WhatsApp Polls
WhatsApp Polls allow users to ask questions and receive real-time responses in personal or group chats. In a poll, users can select up to 12 options for each question.
To create a poll
- Open a chat.
- Click Attach icon > Poll > Create Poll
- Enter your question in Ask question
- Enter your poll options in Options > click Add. Click and drag to change the order of your poll options
- Tap on the send icon to create and send your poll
Respond to a poll
- Click on the options you want to vote for.
Note: You can click on your vote again to remove your vote.
Change your vote
- Click on different poll options to change your vote.
View poll details
- Open a chat
- Click View votes
Status Reactions
WhatsApp users can now directly react to status updates with eight emoji options on the screen, similar to Instagram and Facebook. Here’s how it works:
- Open a status
- Tap on the reply option or swipe up on status
- Tap on an emoji reaction to send an instant message to that person’s chat.
Screenshot blocking
Screenshot blocking was one of those features and was under development on WhatsApp beta for iOS, and has not been spotted on Android beta by the WABetaInfo. When the recipient tries to take a screenshot to view once images and videos, the screenshot will be automatically blocked, but the sender will not receive any notification. However, a user can still take photos using a secondary phone or camera.
Clickable links on status
Users can enable hyperlink URLs in the caption of status updates that similar Instagram ‘Story’ with the help of this function. As a result, viewers will be able to access URLs by just clicking on the links.
Time limit for deleting sent messages
WhatsApp is planning to increase the time limit for deleting the sent messages for up to two days and 12 hours (60 hours in total). Currently, users can delete the sent messages within 1 hour, 8 minutes, and 16 seconds.
Search messages by date
Meanwhile, the messaging platform had started to roll out a new feature to some beta testers on iOS, which gives users the ability to search messages by date. According to WABetaInfo, the feature allows users to easily jump to a certain date within a conversation. A calendar icon will show up when the feature is available while searching for a WhatsApp message. The ability will roll out to more users in the coming weeks, WABetaInfo said.
With inputs from agencies