WhatsApp has rolled out a dozen new features across chats, calls, and channels that make it simpler to handle group conversations, alongside different basic quality-of-life enhancements. One of many extra notable additions is a brand new “On-line” indicator for teams, which shows what number of members are at the moment utilizing the app in actual time.
That is one among a number of new options which are just like capabilities on competing communications platforms like Discord, which highlights the web standing of server members. WhatsApp hasn’t talked about if customers will be capable to override their very own standing indicator to manually set themselves as on-line/offline, nevertheless it ought to make it simpler to see what number of customers are actively studying the chat.
Notifications in group chats will now be simpler to handle and arrange when you discover them overwhelming. Customers can choose the brand new “Notify for” setting and faucet “Spotlight” to position particular limitations on notifications for replies, @mentions, and messages from saved contacts, or choose “All” to obtain each notification. Group chat members may also faucet on reactions that different customers have left on messages so as to add the identical response, very similar to Discord and Slack customers can.
Occasions have been up to date to permit customers to RSVP as “perhaps,” invite a plus one, and specify an finish date and time. Occasions can now even be created in direct messages, and pinned in group chats to make them simpler to search out.
Two options which are completely for iPhone customers embody a built-in doc reader that permits customers to scan, crop, and save doc information with out opening a separate app, and the power to set WhatsApp because the default app for calls and messages. iPhone customers could make the change by opening their machine settings, tapping on “Default Apps,” and choosing WhatsApp.
Within the WhatsApp updates tab, customers will now discover transcriptions of voice messages that they’ve acquired, and a voice notes function that permits channel admins to report movies of as much as 60 seconds that may be immediately shared with followers. Channel admins can now additionally hyperlink folks on to their channels by way of a QR code.
Lastly, WhatsApp says that video calls have been upgraded to make them “extra dependable and better high quality.” WhatsApp customers may be added to an ongoing name immediately inside a chat thread by tapping the decision icon, and name members can now pinch to zoom in to get a better take a look at the reside video.