Meta has released several updates over the course of the year to the WhatsApp app, some more significant for the average everyday user, some a little less. So what do we think are the best updates Meta has released this year, and what would we like to see updated in the coming year?
Remember when Zuckerberg announced Meta? Let's hope that despite all the updates, WhatsApp will remain WhatsApp. We've gotten used to it Photo: Meta
Same account, different
devices After years of waiting and talking, WhatsApp finally gave us the ability to use the same WhatsApp account on multiple devices this year. All you have to do is download the app on your new device, and on the screen that says "Enter your phone number", just tap on the three dots in the upper right corner and select "Link to existing account". This can be done simultaneously on four different devices. A feature that should have been around a long time ago if you ask us.
Edit sent messages
Similar to Telegram, WhatsApp messages can now be edited even after they have been sent
. This way, you can correct any mistake or edit the message, even after it has already been sent. To do this, tap and hold the message that you want to edit. However, it is important to note that texts can only be edited within the first 15 minutes after sending, and edited messages will be marked with a small "edited" caption.
Editing WhatsApp messages, photo: PR
Share high-quality
photos Until now, if you had to share a high-quality photo with someone on WhatsApp, you had to rely on sending the photo as a document, or externally. Now, all you have to do is go into Settings, access "Storage and Data", then "Media Upload Quality" and select "Best Quality" for Image upload quality. So convenient and easy.
Dedicated
video recording mode Previously, to directly record a video in the app, users had to press and hold the shutter button. With a dedicated video recording mode, all you need to do is press the separate button to record videos, just like on the smartphone's own camera. Surprisingly, it came only this year.
WhatsApp. The most popular messaging app in Israel, photo: Reuters
Voice
status
We all know how to send voice messages on WhatsApp. But did you know that voice messages can now be set up as your status updates? Simply go to the "Status" tab and select the pencil icon at the bottom. On the next screen, tap the microphone icon and start recording your voice message for up to 30 seconds.
The channels
feature in the new update WhatsApp added just in the last few days, you can choose who to follow, from organizations, to sports teams, artists and opinion leaders. The channels are actually private broadcast channels, separate from the chats, and whoever you choose to follow will not be visible to other followers.
This is how the "channels" feature looks on WhatsApp, photo: courtesy of WhatsApp
And what would we like to see on WhatsApp in the new year?
In a quick survey we conducted with friends and colleagues in the office, several ideas came up for features that we would like to see launched on WhatsApp in the coming year: when you delete a message that will not even show that it was sent and deleted, that it will be possible to edit messages indefinitely, that it will be possible to block the receipt of recorded messages (yes we are talking about you, those who record for 10 minutes and expect us to listen), and vice versa, that you will be able to choose to receive only recorded messages.
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