WhatsApp is finally bringing us a few interesting changes that will make chatting on the platform easier and definitely more fun.
The Messaging App was founded by Brian Acton and Jan Koum in 2009. Acton and Koum are both former employees of Yahoo! (if you don’t know what Yahoo is: Google it). You’ve probably figured this out already but the App was named to sound like “What’s Up”.
Long story short: they became more popular than BBM, Facebook Messenger, Google G-Talk (for the noobs, it’s now called Hangout – and nobody uses it), etc. The App gained popularity due to its cool features like, in the beginning, the statuses were shown right next to the person’s profile picture. This feature is one of the first things that sparked their interest in creating the new App as no other Apps at the time had this capability. Now, 11 years later, it has various functionalities and has a userbase of over 2 billion in 180 countries. Wowza… that’s a lot!
They have announced some cool changes that will come into effect with the new update:
Animated stickers
Stickers can be a little bland to send when you have Gifs to use for a more interactive, fun response. Well, not anymore… finally, we don’t have to head to Insta-stories to get our animated sticker fix. Stickers will now become more lively and probably get used a little more.
QR Codes
Tired of the lengthy process of adding contacts? Me too! You will now be able to add contacts straight via a QR code. So if you see that long lost friend in the mall and want to add them, all you do is scan their QR code!
Dark mode for web and desktop
To reduce the strain on your eyes when using the App on your computer, they are introducing the dark mode (that’s already on the mobile version) for the night owls working on their laptops/computers.
Group video calls improvement
You can now add up to eight people to your WhatsApp group video call and that’s not all folks, they’re adding a button on each group smaller than eight users, for easier access to video calls. You will also be able to maximise the frame of the person who you want to focus on.
KaiOS Update
KaiOS users can now also share their statuses with fellow users – finally!
Here’s the video from WhatsApp for more info:
Bored with your current Apps? Check out our list of cool Apps you can try.
