6 WhatsApp news you should know this week | Apps

WhatsApp, the messaging app available for Android phones and iPhone (iOS), will get a series of new tools to improve user experience. Of the six new features, some have already been released for the entire base, while others are still being tested. The ability to pay for purchases directly in the app via credit and debit cards and device verification are examples of this. There are also WABetaInfo resources that have not been released, but are highly anticipated – such as Expired Collections.

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In the following lines, see all the WhatsApp news released in the past week. It is worth noting that those still in the testing phase do not, yet, have a release date.

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1. Card payments via the app

Last Tuesday (11), WhatsApp launched the option to pay by credit, debit and prepaid cards directly through the app. The tool is valid for individuals who want to buy products or services from small businesses through the messenger, eliminating the need to use external apps or links.

According to Meta, the new product will be gradually released to merchants using WhatsApp Business and will be valid for Cielo, Mercado Pago and Rede subscribers. However, buyer users can now receive the update, simply by updating the app. It should be noted that the card data entered into the platform will be protected by end-to-end encryption, as well as the exchange of messages and files.

2. Account protection

Another novelty announced by Meta last Thursday (13) is a protection feature aimed at keeping user accounts safe on WhatsApp. With it, whenever a user tries to connect on a new device, their identity must be confirmed on the source device. This is useful, for example, to prevent your account from being hacked.

The alert will display details such as the time and place you performed the operation. The new one will be released to all mobile phones over the next few months.

3. Check the device

Meta has also invested in a device verification feature, which should protect user accounts from potential malware attacks. For this purpose, the function will generate various security codes to determine if the server that is trying to access WhatsApp really belongs to the account owner. The process will prevent conversations and files sent in the messenger from being accessed incorrectly.

The new one is part of the platform code and will not require user activation, and works automatically. As of now, it is only available for Android phones, but it is expected to hit iOS devices soon.

4. Buddy mode for up to four phones

Companion Mode is being tested on Android and will allow the same WhatsApp account to be linked to up to four different cell phones. With this, it will be possible to access chats on other mobile devices without the main smartphone connection to the internet. It is worth noting that when linked, the conversation history in the messenger will be synchronized on all other devices.

Personal messages and calls will continue to be protected with end-to-end encryption. The news has not been released to all WhatsApp users yet, but it should be available soon. For now, only Android phone users can use the beta version of the feature. However, if you have an iPhone, you can link an Android as a secondary device.

5. Add and edit contacts through the application

The ability to add and edit WhatsApp contacts directly through the messaging app was also released to testing this week. This feature promises to help users save time, as it eliminates the need to switch between apps. Until now, it was necessary to run the process through the device’s original agenda. With the change, it will no longer be necessary to leave the messenger for this: when clicking on the “New Contact” option, users will be able to enter their first name, last name and phone number there.

It should be noted that the new tool will also allow quick editing of saved information about a contact. According to the WABetaInfo portal, the new one is available to some beta testers who have Android phones and should reach more people in the coming days.

6. Groups that expire

According to WABetaInfo, a future WhatsApp update will bring expired groups to the app. There’s no set date for the feature to come to fruition, but it promises to remove conversations all together that are no longer useful. Thus, it will be possible to set a period for messaging to remind the user to clean up the chat, such as a day or a week later. It is important to note that messages will be deleted only for participants who activate the function.

With this said, Meta’s idea is to make it easier to organize WhatsApp groups, as well as help save space on the device. The tool can be a good option, for example, to put an end to chats that are created for certain situations and that usually get “abandoned” over time.

with information from WABetaInfo

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