20230724 WhatsApp
The messaging platform adds new features to further improve the user experience. Here is a wrap-up of the updates and new features Image Credit: Reuters

1 Filter groups chat

Meta-owned WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, and it is constantly adding new features to enhance the service. Some of these features are designed to improve the overall user experience, while others are designed to add new functionalities to the app. Listed below are the most recent and significant features released as well as those still under development

Users will notice that the "Personal" filter has been renamed to "Contacts" to better distinguish between individual and group chats. Previously, the "Personal" filter included groups and communities, but the new "Contacts" filter will only include individual conversations. The "Business" filter has also been removed.

A new feature called "filter groups chat" is reportedly being developed by WhatsApp for Android users. This feature will allow users to get a list of their groups by excluding individual chats, making it easier to manage and prioritise their messages.

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The new "Groups" filter will let users quickly access and manage their group conversations, as they often join multiple groups for various purposes, such as work, family, friends, or hobbies. This dedicated filter will only include group chats. The feature to filter group chats is under development and will be available in a future update of the app.

2. Multi-account feature

The new multi-account feature in WhatsApp beta for Android allows users to add additional accounts to the app. This feature helps users to keep their private chats, work conversations and other chats all in one application.

The company had introduced the similar experience for Windows desktop users earlier this year. According to the company, the app is redesigned to be familiar to Mac users, helping users to get more done faster when using WhatsApp on a large screen.

It was also reported that the company had started to work on a new passkey feature for account verification on Android beta. A passkey is a short sequence of numbers or letters that is used to verify users' identity. It also serves as a kind of security code that makes sure that only authorised devices can be verified.

3. New App for Mac

Meanwhile, Meta Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has launched a new WhatsApp application for Mac users with a group calling feature which will connect with up to eight people on video calls and 32 people on audio calls.

4. Group without a name

New WhatsApp updates

They can now share files by easily dragging and dropping into a chat and can view more of the chat history.

It is useful when “you need to create a group in a hurry, or you don’t have a group topic in mind”, said the company. Unnamed groups of up to 6 participants will now be dynamically named based on who is in a group, the company announced.

Mark Zuckerberg has announced that users can now create a group on WhatsApp without needing a name for it. This feature is rolling out globally over the next few weeks. “You’re welcome to embed his post within your piece,” he posted.

The group name will display differently for each participant, based on how they have contacts saved in their phone. If you are added into a group with people who do not have your contact saved, your phone number will appear within the group name.

5. Video message feature on iOS

The messaging platform has rolled out landscape mode support for video calls and silence unknown callers option on iOS.

The platform is also rolling out support for screen sharing in video calls. Users will see a new “screen share” button when they start a video call. These features will roll out over the coming weeks, the company said.

The messaging app had announced that users can now send photos in HD quality. "You can now instantly record and send video messages in chats," the company mentioned in the official changelog on Monday. This feature can be accessed by tapping on the microphone icon in chats to switch to video.

6. Silence Unknown Callers

Redesigned sticker tray with improved navigation and a larger set of stickers including more Avatars were also rolled out.

The messaging platform had widely rolled out landscape mode support for video calls and silence unknown callers option on iOS. Users can silence unknown callers by going to Settings - Privacy - Calls.

The platform had also released the ability to natively transfer full account history when switching to a new device. This functionality can be accessed by navigating to Settings - Chats - Transfer Chats to iPhone.

7. Translucent bars

The new interface for WhatsApp includes a translucent tab bar and navigation bar. Users can open any section of the application to check if the translucent effect is available to their account. The report said that if you don't have the feature yet, some accounts may receive it in the coming weeks, as indicated in the official changelog.

8. New interface for app settings

With the new interface, the platform also introduced three new entry points to better highlight the important sections of the app.

The ‘You’ tab in the iOS beta replaces the Settings tab and makes it easier for users to switch to a different account when the multi-account feature is launched.

This will allow users to easily access privacy settings, the contacts list, and the profile.

Also, users will notice a new shortcut which will be placed over the profile photo, allowing them to view and share their personal QR code.

The new settings interface is now available to a limited number of beta testers who have installed the latest update of WhatsApp beta for iOS from the TestFlight app.

9. Text formatting tools

New text formatting tools are reported to be coming to WhatsApp, including the ability to block code, quote text, and create lists.

Code Block: This feature is expected to make sharing and reading lines of code much more convenient and readable on the platform. It will be helpful for software developers, programmers and anyone who communicates code snippets with others. With this tool, the platform aims to prevent the problem of code snippets being displayed in a complicated way.

Quote: The "Quote” feature is expected to help users refer back to particular messages in a chat. It will be different from the existing quote message feature, as the new tool will allow users to highlight a specific section of text.

List: The third formatting tool will likely allow users to create a list of items.

10. Edit media caption

Last month, it was reported that the messaging platform had started to roll out a caption message edit feature on Android and iOS. With this feature, users can edit captions for videos, GIFs and documents, within 15 minutes of sending the message.

However, users can edit a message with a caption only from the device from which it was originally sent.