Whatsapp update Archives - Gizmochina

WhatsApp Web and Desktop support View Once Photos & Videos again

Sean — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 12:41:57 +0000

WhatsApp is finally bringing back a highly requested feature on the WhatsApp Web and Desktop. Users will soon be able to access View Once photos and videos outside of their mobile devices again.

WhatsApp View Once returns to Web and Desktop

For those unaware, you previously had access to View Once media. But as of November 2022, the social media company decided to remove this feature from its official browser platform and PC app. The feature was taken down over privacy reasons last year. However, it is finally making a return on all major platforms again. View Once was recently spotted for Web and Desktop following a recent update.

According to a WABetaInfo report, WhatsApp Web and Desktop users have had the View Once feature working. It seems like the functionality became functional again after updates to the desktop client and the website. This feature seems to be working on both the Windows and macOS builds of the WhatsApp Desktop. To elaborate the feature, View Once basically lets you send pictures and videos that are only limited to a single view.

In other words, once a person clicks on the View Once message in the chat, the media will disappear and can not be accessed again. While previously you could take a screenshot if it was a picture, the company released an update that made screenshots ineffective. WhatsApp recently also added Email verification to further enhance the security measures.

WhatsApp’s New Email Verification Feature: A Step Forward for Privacy or Security Risk?

Oğuz Çakır — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 00:30:12 +0000

WhatsApp is putting privacy first. For example, we recently talked about the upcoming Alternate Profile feature, which lets users create a second profile for people they aren’t close to. This is a welcome addition for people who struggle to balance their work and personal lives. Now, WhatsApp is working on another important feature: email profile verification. Here are the details…

WhatsApp to Implement Email-Based Profile Verification

Until now, you always needed a phone number to log into your WhatsApp account. You would verify it with a code sent via SMS, granting access to your account. Accessing your account through any other means was not possible. However, this is changing as WhatsApp will now allow verification via email. This feature is already being tested by some users in the beta stage.

Users will be able to access this feature in the “Settings” and “Account” sections. Those who wish to can activate email verification by entering their email address. This way, in case anything happens to your phone or phone number, you can still access your account. This feature is undoubtedly intriguing, but it’s worth mentioning that WhatsApp offering email verification doesn’t mean you won’t need your phone number anymore.

WhatsApp is implementing this for security purposes in case you can’t access your account for some reason. However, there are also some concerns. For instance, email addresses are generally more vulnerable compared to phone numbers. For many, an SMS sent to their phone feels more secure than an email. If someone forgets to log out of their account on a shared device or if their account gets compromised through various means, their WhatsApp account could also be at risk.

Unfortunately, scammers in our country adapt quickly to evolving technology. So, it’s essential to stay vigilant. Of course, you can always secure your email address with two-factor authentication, but then the WhatsApp email profile verification feature might lose its significance. While the exact release date for this feature remains unknown, it’s expected to arrive soon.

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WhatsApp introduces password reminder feature for end-to-end encrypted backups

Soumyakanti — Tue, 23 May 2023 12:11:47 +0000

WhatsApp has recently implemented a new feature aimed at enhancing the security of its users’ data. With its end-to-end encryption capabilities, WhatsApp has long been favored for secure communication. However, until September 2021, the platform’s backups to the cloud were not encrypted, posing a potential security risk. To address this concern, Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, introduced encrypted backups to Google Drive, which could be protected with a password.

Strengthening Data Security: WhatsApp’s New Password Reminder Feature

While this added an extra layer of security, there was a possibility of users forgetting their encrypted backup passwords, particularly if they didn’t change their phones frequently. To mitigate this issue, WhatsApp has now rolled out a password reminder feature. According to reports from WABetaInfo, users are being prompted to enter their 64-digit key or password for the end-to-end encrypted backup after updating to the latest version of the app. Access to the app is restricted until the correct password is entered or encrypted backups are turned off.

This reminder serves as a precautionary measure to prevent users from permanently losing access to their WhatsApp chat history. If the encrypted password is forgotten, there is no option to recover it. Therefore, it is crucial to remember the encrypted backup password to avoid losing valuable chat data.

In case users have already forgotten their WhatsApp backup’s encrypted password and encounter the reminder, they can choose to disable encrypted backups. However, this will result in the loss of access to previous encrypted WhatsApp chat history. If necessary, users can re-enable the security feature with a new password or 64-digit key.

WhatsApp also implements a similar reminder for the six-digit code used for two-factor authentication, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding user accounts. To avoid the risk of forgetting the new password, it is recommended to save the details in a reliable password manager app for Android, thereby ensuring easy access to the password whenever required.

In addition to this security enhancement, WhatsApp has recently introduced other features to empower its users, such as message editing and chat lock for securing conversations. It has also expanded its functionality by introducing multi-device support, enabling users to use the same account on up to four phones.

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WhatsApp’s latest update comes with improved polling and flexible captioning

Soumyakanti — Sat, 06 May 2023 09:44:54 +0000

Meta has recently introduced two new updates for WhatsApp, aimed at enhancing the user experience. The popular messaging app now includes a new feature for WhatsApp Polls, which allows users to create single-vote polls by turning off the “Allow multiple answers” option before making the poll live. This function ensures that each participant can submit a single response to the posed query, resulting in a more precise portrayal of viewpoints.

WhatsApp’s new poll and media sharing with caption features

Moreover, users can now search for polls using the search functionality within the chat, making it easier to find a poll that they may have missed or not responded to immediately. This feature is similar to searching for a specific conversation within a chat, providing a more efficient way to navigate through the app.

The latest update also addresses the issue of modifying captions when sharing media files such as photos, videos, and documents. Users can now modify captions by keeping the original caption, deleting it altogether, or rewriting it entirely. This feature applies when forwarding media files from one chat to another, making the process much more flexible and personalized.

These new updates are in line with the company’s efforts to continually improve the user experience on the platform. In recent months, Meta has introduced several updates to WhatsApp, including the option to use a single WhatsApp account on up to four devices simultaneously, and enabling disappearing messages.

The updates for WhatsApp Polls and modifying captions when sharing media files are now being rolled out globally and will be available to all users in the next few weeks. These features will undoubtedly enhance the user experience on WhatsApp, making the app more personalized, efficient, and enjoyable to use.

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WhatsApp might soon bring animated emoji support

Sean — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 12:52:56 +0000

WhatsApp might be working on an interesting new feature for its popular chat application for desktops. The company could soon offer animated emojis on its messaging platform, so here are all the details.

WhatsApp Animated Emojis might soon hit the beta

Meta is reportedly working on this feature that would like to add a new interactive/expressive element to chats. This feature might soon be available on an upcoming beta for the WhatsApp desktop app. The news arrives from WABetaInfo who also shared a GIF that showcases this feature. Looking at this animated emoji, we can see the Party Horn and Party Hat emoji bouncing around as it does a full 360 degree rotate.

It is unclear how exactly one accesses these animated emojis, but WhatsApp might share the animated version of a specific emoji instead of the static one if the user only sends a single emoji. Keep in mind that it also needs a animated version to offer this functionality. Since the feature is supposedly making its way to the WhatsApp desktop beta, we can expect it to also be soon available in the smartphone mobile beta app version as well.

With animated emoji’s, the userbase can expect to have a new have of interaction and expression in group chats. This, in turn, will make the chatting experience more fun and have the platform better company with iMessage and even Google’s Messages app that have supported animated emojis for years now.

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WhatsApp will let you add descriptions to forwarded messages

Soumyakanti — Mon, 17 Apr 2023 12:25:43 +0000

WhatsApp is on a roll with its new features to improve the user experience. The latest feature that is reportedly being rolled out to Android smartphone users is the ability to add custom descriptions to forwarded files and media. The feature will help users explain the intent of the forwarded media without having to repeat it over and over again to every receiver.

The custom description feature works similarly to file captions, where users can get rid of WhatsApp’s auto-generated file description and add their own text as a description for the forwarded files.

The recipient will receive the description as a separate message, along with the file, allowing them to understand the intent behind it. This feature will be enabled by default for users who have installed the latest WhatsApp beta v2.23.8.22, and it will serve the same purpose of not having to repeat things to every recipient.

The new feature is slowly rolling out to beta users via the Google Play Store, although some users have reported encountering issues such as the inability to view other users’ status updates or problems while downloading videos.

In addition to the custom description feature, WhatsApp has also introduced three new security features for users. These features include Account Protect, Device Verification, and Automatic Security Codes. The Account Protect feature will alert users to any unauthorized attempts to move their account to another device, while Device Verification will prevent mobile device malware from exploiting users’ phones without permission and using their WhatsApp account to send unwanted messages. The Automatic Security Codes feature will allow users to automatically verify that their conversation is secure.

Moreover, WhatsApp has recently introduced a “companion mode” feature to all beta testers in its latest update on Android. This extension of multi-device support allows users to link their existing WhatsApp account to another smartphone.

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New WhatsApp Update Focuses on Communities & Group Chats

Anubhav — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 07:07:13 +0000

WhatsApp is a widely popular messaging app that allows users to send and receive text messages, voice messages, photos, videos, and documents. It is known for its end-to-end encryption, which provides users with a high level of privacy and security. It is available on both Android and iOS platforms, as well as on desktop computers through a web-based interface. The app with over two billion active users received a new update that further enhances the user experience of the platform.

The new update focuses on improving its Communities feature, which was launched last year. The update includes a new tool that gives group admins greater control over group privacy, enabling them to decide who can join their group. The update also enhances admins’ control over who can join their group through the invite link or by making it joinable in a community. Another addition to the update is a feature that allows users to easily see groups in common by searching a contact’s name.

The new features will start rolling out globally over the coming week. WhatsApp has hinted at the possibility of more tools being introduced to improve the groups experience for both admins and members. Additionally, WhatsApp is testing a new feature in its beta program that allows users to mute calls from unknown callers, which is expected to reduce spam. All muted calls will appear in the Call List, but users won’t be bothered by unknown callers if they don’t want to be.

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WhatsApp to bump up group size to 1024 participants soon, beta testing ongoing

Jed John Ikoba — Wed, 12 Oct 2022 18:43:57 +0000

WhatsApp is testing a beta version that allows group sizes as large as 1024 members. The social media platform is already testing the feature in a beta version of the software available to both Android and iOS users. This comes after the WhatsApp Premium optional subscription plan was announced for certain customers.

The group size feature will be available for a few beta testers and will be doubling the current maximum group size of 512 participants. Back in June, WhatsApp expanded its group size from 256 to 512 and the move was welcomed with applause. The beta software is limited to a certain number of WhatsApp beta testers. Any WhatsApp user can, however, check whether the feature is available in his current software by trying to add new members to an existing group or create a new group. The number of beta testers and the global spread of the beta testers are not known at this time.

The implications of a larger WhatsApp group include drawing new users to the platform and greater versatility. WhatsApp continues to incorporate new tools that provide greater control for group admins. Some of the controls include having a list of pending participants and embedding an approval mechanism in group dynamics. WhatsApp has also expanded the maximum capacity of shared media files to 2GB.

The full rollout of the 1024 group size feature for WhatsApp will expectedly kick in after the beta testing process. The timing details are lacking but we expect quick incorporation of the feature.

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