Meta owned instant messaging application- WhatsApp added more than twenty new features in the year 2022. The head of the company, Will Cathcart considers this year to be the biggest of all for the platform. He tweeted saying, “2022 was our biggest year yet. Our team was so excited to build Communities, Reactions, Polls, Avatars, 32-person video calling and so much more. A huge thank you to everyone who gave us feedback on how to make @WhatsApp ever better. There’s a lot more coming in 2023!”
In terms of privacy, WhatsApp has provided a few updates that include hiding online status, accidental delete wherein delete for me action can be reversed and leaving groups with only admins getting the notification. End-to-end encryption and private messaging have already been a part of WhatsApp.
WhatsApp Communities is another new feature added to WhatsApp this year that aims at providing large institutions such as workplaces, schools and local groups to manage their conversations by bringing multiple groups under a larger community. In terms of voice messages pause, resume, playback, draft and 1.5x or 2x speed was included.
The ability to create in-chat polls and the option to add 1,024 members in a group which was 256 before and admin delete that allows admin to delete certain messages from groups was also added to WhatsApp to enhance user experience. In terms of calls, 32 people can be added to a video call and call links can be shared. Other than that in-call banner notifications will also pop up to tell if a new member joined a group call.
Recently the creation of Avatars was also added that could be used as profile pictures or sent as stickers in chats. Emoji reactions to messages were also added. If a user adds a status then it can be seen in their profile picture on the chat along with being visible in the status bar.
Other than these a few utility features were also added that includes sharing files with 2GB limit, migration of data between iOS and Android and message yourself to keep reminders and to-do-lists. WhatsApp is constantly working towards improving the platform and the tweet from the company head indicates more updates in the coming years.
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