Founded in 2009, the instant messaging service WhatsApp is constantly releasing new features. © Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/dpa/Symbolbild
A new feature on WhatsApp is designed to make it even easier for users to respond to messages and save time.
Mountain View (USA) – The instant messaging service WhatsApp is developing a new feature. Double-tapping on a message is intended to make life easier for users in the future, as the WhatsApp-specializing blog WeBetaInfo reported on Thursday (May 18).
Name: | WhatsApp Inc. |
---|---|
Foundation: | 2009 (since 2014 part of the Facebook group Meta) |
Function: | Instant messaging service |
Office: | Mountain View, California (USA) |
Number of users worldwide: | > 2 billion in 180 countries (according to their own figures) |
WhatsApp develops new feature: Users should save time with double-tap reaction
In the future, the WhatsApp messaging service will make it possible for double-tapping on a message to send a "thumbs-up" emoji directly in response. The tech giant submitted a corresponding update via the Apple App Store's Test Flight beta tester program, which raises the version to 23.10.0.73, WeBetaInfo reported on Thursday (May 18). At this time, however, there doesn't seem to be a way to set an emoji other than "thumbs-up" as an instant reaction.
Until now, users have had to click on a message for a longer period of time and choose from different emojis to send a reaction. To simplify this process, WhatsApp is now apparently developing the fast double-tap version. Currently, the feature is not yet available, but is expected to be released in a future update to the app.
New WhatsApp features: These innovations are in the pipeline
WhatsApp had only announced an update on Monday (22 May) that could please many users: In the future, it should be possible to edit messages after they have been sent. However, only within the period of 15 minutes. Numerous other functions are in development. These include the ability to create stickers directly in the app or find other users by their username instead of phone number.
WhatsApp, like Facebook and Instagram, belongs to the US online group Meta, which is repeatedly criticized for privacy concerns. At the end of May, it was announced that WhatsApp's parent company would pay a record fine of 1.2 billion euros for violations of EU data protection rules. This is the highest such penalty ever imposed in Europe. However, it is not the first million-dollar fine imposed on Meta.