Something is happening on WhatsApp. It doesn’t always have to be a brand-new feature in a preview version that you might not be able to use for a few weeks or even months. Much more important are features that you can already find in your app today. That’s exactly why the developer of Messenger published a summary of the recently introduced features. In total, there are 12 new features spread across the entire app.
WhatsApp: New Chat Functions
Various new features affect the core function of the messenger: chat. Some features mentioned here only apply to group conversations. For instance, you can see how many people are currently online in real-time directly under the name of a WhatsApp group. A new option has been added to improve notifications in group chats. In such settings, you can select that you only want to be notified about highlights. You will then only receive notifications about @mentions, replies, and messages from saved contacts.
There are also improvements for events. You can create these not only in groups but also in individual chats. You can now also select the “Maybe” option when it comes to accepting and rejecting. Furthermore, you can also invite an accompanying person and set the end date and time for longer events. It is now also possible to include an event on WhatsApp.
Reactions are a popular feature in chats. WhatsApp now gives you the option to see who reacted and how. Simply tap on the reactions to see the corresponding overview.
For WhatsApp users with an iPhone, the developers have included two separate new features. You can scan and send documents directly in the chat. This feature can be found in the attachments section, where you will find “Scan document”. You can take a photo of it here followed by cropping and saving it.
Since iOS 18.4, you can also mark Messenger as the default app for messages and calls. You can find this option on the iPhone in Settings > Apps > Default apps. You can select WhatsApp for both categories here.
Other New Features for WhatsApp Calls
On the iPhone, you can now zoom into the image of a video call using a two-finger gesture. This allows you to get a better view of your video transmission or that of the other person. Another new feature is that you can add another person to an active individual call. You can find this option in the WhatsApp chat by tapping on the call icon at the top and then selecting “Add to call”.
According to the developer, the third new feature of calls in WhatsApp revolves around the actual technology that works in the background. This should improve the quality of calls and make them more reliable. It includes improved detection of the available bandwidth. This ensures that calls are quickly switched to HD where possible.
Channels with Three New Functions
Last but not least, WhatsApp also introduced a few helpful new features in the “News” section. This tab contains everything to do with status and channels. The latter now has three new features.
WhatsApp channel administrators can now record short videos with a maximum length of 60 seconds and share them directly with subscribers. To make it easier to share channels, admins can also share a QR code that leads directly to the channel.
The third and final new feature is transcripts in channels. Messages that have been shared as voice messages can now be summarized in writing. This is particularly helpful if you are on the move and don’t have the opportunity to listen to them.
