More than two billion people worldwide use WhatsApp, they all received new updates in the last few weeks. From new status to groups to chat functions. How WhatsApp is currently expanding its range.
To see whether friends have published status messages, WhatsApp is based on the look of Instagram. As described in a WhatsApp blog post, a green circle will now appear around the friend’s picture, indicating that this contact has posted an unseen status.
Those who post their status can determine who should see it. The setting is saved as a template for the next status message. In addition, voice messages can also function as a status in the future. In the future it will also be possible to comment on these status messages and react to them with emojis. And: If a link is included in the status, WhatsApp shows a visual preview of the link’s target.
Officially, the new function is not called vacation mode, but “leave chats in the archive”. The term is likely to have stuck with the beta test carried out in 2021. In concrete terms, he means that archived messages do not end up in the regular chat overview again, even if the corresponding contact sends something. In order to get faster access to the archived messages, WhatsApp no longer hides them at the end of the chat overview, but instead pins them at the top of the list.
WhatsApp also gives its users the option of sending more image files at once. So far you could send up to 30 pictures and videos at once – now it’s 100.
There is also the option to provide sent files with a description. As previously with images, files can now also be provided with a so-called “caption” – the recipient can then see at a glance what the attached file is about.
In addition, group chats have more characters: The number of characters in group descriptions has quadrupled – from 512 to 2,048 characters. The group name itself can be up to 100 characters long, giving users plenty of space for creative ideas. They can also use emojis for this purpose, with one emoji corresponding to one character.
The current WhatsApp version 23.3.77 also has a new video telephony feature in its luggage. Until now, the video transmission was interrupted during a video call if one of the conversation partners left the app, for example to check their e-mails. WhatsApp is now introducing a picture-in-picture mode, which has long been common practice in many comparable apps. If you switch to the home screen or another app, you will still see the WhatsApp call in a small window and can position it freely on the display.
