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WhatsApp Features Added in 2019: Everything New That WhatsApp Has Added This Year

WhatsApp Features Added in 2019: Everything New That WhatsApp Has Added This Year 1b3h62

By Tasneem Akolawala | Updated: 7 April 2019 13:39 IST

WhatsApp features introduced in 2019 include changes to its forward function, and more 6v5i2y

Highlights

WhatsApp Business for iPhone rolled out globally recently
A new Tipline feature was unveiled to tackle fake news in India
WhatsApp also curbed forwarding a message to five chats

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WhatsApp has had a busy 2019, and it's only been three months into the new year. The Facebook-owned instant messaging app has already launched several new features for iPhone and Android s both. Apart from new features like Tipline, WhatsApp Web PiP improvements, Reply Privately feature for iPhone, and the restriction to forwarding chats, WhatsApp has also rolled out its Business app for iPhone s in seven countries. Apart from these features, a host of features like a new privacy setting for group invites and the ability to a single sticker were also spotted in beta testing.

We take you down memory lane to recap all the things WhatsApp rolled out in 2019, all the things that were spotted in beta testing, and all the things that are under development.

New WhatsApp features (stable version) v5m42

1. WhatsApp Business app for iPhone global rollout 83m44

After testing it out for a significant amount of time, WhatsApp for a year now. If you live in one of the countries mentioned above, you can the app from App Store.

2. WhatsApp Tipline feature introduced 8x2z

In a bid to crack down on fake news ahead of the general election in the country, WhatsApp unveiled its ''Checkpoint Tipline'' feature where people can check the authenticity of information received. People in India can submit misinformation or rumours they receive to the Checkpoint Tipline on WhatsApp (+91-9643-000-888). Once a WhatsApp shares a suspicious message with the tipline, Proto's verification centre will seek to respond and inform the if the claim made in message shared is verified or not. The response will indicate if information is classified as true, false, misleading, disputed or out of scope.

WhatsApp Tipline feature s Hindi, Telugu, Bengali, and Malayalam

Proto has since clarified the tipline is essentially a research project, and is "not a helpline" that will respond to all of the s' queries on WhatsApp. Gadgets 360 shared a number of links and few photos with the Checkpoint tipline, but haven't received any response yet apart from the automated replies.

3. WhatsApp Web PiP mode improvements 553h5p

WhatsApp introduced Picture-in-Picture mode for desktop s last year, but at that time, it only worked for the videos shared by the s themselves. With an update in February, WhatsApp Web s got the ability to use Picture-in-Picture mode for all video links, with for Facebook, YouTube, Streamable, and Instagram video links introduced. This feature came with WhatsApp Web version 0.3.2041 update.

4. WhatsApp Business on Web and Desktop improvements 464m27

To mark the first anniversary of the launch of WhatsApp Business app, WhatsApp introduced quick replies, labels, and chat list filtering on the Web version as well as the desktop clients of the Business app. These features were already available to WhatsApp Business s on mobile, but since January, these can now also be used on the Web version as well as WhatsApp desktop apps.

5. WhatsApp limits forwards to 5 chats globally 4f2cs

To combat fake news on its chat platform, WhatsApp Indian s in July last year, and in January, the company rolled it out to all s globally. This change came as part of WhatsApp's aim to maintain the image of a 'private messaging app' rather than one infamous for the spreading of fake news.

6. WhatsApp for iPhone gets Reply Privately feature 43w3p

In the first week of 2019, WhatsApp got this feature last year.

7. WhatsApp for iPhone gets Sticker in Media u4u1x

In the same WhatsApp update, the chat app also introduced the ability to add stickers to media for iPhone s. Tap on the smiley icon while editing a photo or a video to add stickers to media. It is quite simple to use and lets s drag and drop the stickers to the desired spot in the photos and videos. Earlier, the messenger app only ed adding emojis, text, free-handed drawings on the photo and videos and three content stickers – Analog Clock, Digital Clock, and Location.

8. WhatsApp for iPhone gets 3D Touch to preview Status 603s33

In addition to stickers in media and reply privately, WhatsApp for iPhone update also got the ability to use 3D Touch to preview a 's status in the Status tab. The preview screen also lets the Mute a status if they desire. It is important to note here that not all iPhone models 3D Touch. Apple had introduced the 3D Touch back in 2015 with the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus models. iPhone SE and older iPhone models don't include the for 3D Touch. The iPhone XR also doesn't include 3D Touch, with Apple choosing to go with Haptic Touch instead, and this tech offers similar UI options as regular 3D Touch.

9. WhatsApp for iPhone gets biometric authentication 5n242

WhatsApp for iPhone v2.19.20 brought along the anticipated biometric authentication that allows s to lock the WhatsApp on their iPhone models by deploying the native Face ID or Touch ID. You can lock the WhatsApp app with Face ID or Touch ID by going to Settings > > Privacy > Screen Lock. Once you moved to the Screen Lock screen, the app shows the available authentication method - either Face ID or Touch ID - that you can enable to lock your WhatsApp. You can also choose whether you want the biometric authentication requirement immediately or after an interval of a minute, 15 minutes, or an hour.

WhatsApp s both Face ID and Touch ID

WhatsApp still allows s to reply to messages from notifications and answer calls, without requiring biometric authentication. Also, once unlocked after successfully detecting the correct biometrics - either through Face ID or Touch ID feature - the instant messaging app opens access to all your messages. This means the latest development doesn't lock your WhatsApp chats on an individual basis.

10. WhatsApp for Android adds group call shortcut 341g62

WhatsApp for Android v2.19.9 introduced iPhone s since last year. The newly introduced button can be used to make group calls by adding the participants all at once from a slide-out tray containing the cards of all in a group. Here, you can tap on the names of people you want to participate in your group voice or video call.

New WhatsApp features (beta version) 5k311m

1. WhatsApp Privacy Setting for Group Invites 2g40s

WhatsApp is rolled out globally over the coming weeks.

WhatsApp group invite settings are currently available in beta versions

The new privacy settings for WhatsApp groups invites is meant to help s choose who can add them to groups. It can be accessed by going to Settings > > Privacy > Groups. Here, you can select between Everyone, My s, and Nobody. If you select the Nobody option, you'll have to approve ing every WhatsApp group to which you're invited. However, the My s option will enable s you have in your address book to add you to groups. There will also be the Everyone option that won't add any restriction.

2. WhatsApp Forwarding Info enabled 565r1t

WhatsApp beta 2.19.87 update this month enabled the Forwarding Info feature. All s who updated to this beta version could see the number of times a message has been forwarded. However, this information is available only when you are the sender of a message that has been forwarded to multiple s. This can be checked by long-pressing the forwarded message and tapping on the information icon ('i' in a circle) at the top.

WhatsApp beta 2.19.87 shows how many times a message has been forwarded

3. WhatsApp Consecutive Voice Messages feature 432n2k

WhatsApp Android beta v2.19.86 brought being a work-in-progress since November last year, and you will need to be on the above mentioned beta version (or the latest beta) to use it.

WhatsApp v2.19.86 for Android added for playback of consecutive voice messages

To test this feature once you are on the latest version, ask a friend to send you multiple voice messages. Play the first voice message and the second one should automatically play, after the first one ends. We tested it out and it works seamlessly on latest Android beta.

4. WhatsApp Short Link feature for iPhone 4bkb

For iPhone s, WhatsApp rolled out the Short Link feature with Business beta version 2.19.21.5. The feature is already available on both the regular Android and WhatsApp Business for Android apps, and is finally being tested on iOS. Using the new Short Link feature, the business can access a short wa.me URL to share with its customers, so that they can start a WhatsApp chat with the organisation. Once you're on the latest version, head to Settings to find the Short Link section.

5. WhatsApp Transgender Flag Emoji introduced 1c2ph

WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.19.73 brought an emoji showing a transgender flag. You need to go to the flag emoji section from the emoji menu to see the transgender flag that sits alongside the LGBT and UN flags. Gadgets 360 was able to independently the presence of the new flag on the WhatsApp beta build.

6. WhatsApp for Android redesigned Settings menu 331q1e

WhatsApp for Android beta v2.19.45 introduces a redesigned ‘Settings' menu with a slightly different layout and has also brought new icons for a variety of tools. The update brings relocation of certain tools, new icons and the way information is displayed on the screen. The first noticeable change is the addition of a ‘Payments' option on the main ‘Settings' page which shows a history of payments and details of the linked bank . The update also brought tweaks to the ‘Network Usage' page that now shows the memory usage status with details such as date and time, as well as the total amount of data sent and received by s.

7. WhatsApp for Android Single Sticker option 1u2b1v

WhatsApp Android beta version 2.19.33 added the ability to a single sticker from a pack. Earlier, a WhatsApp was forced to the entire sticker pack even if the person just wanted to use a single sticker from that pack. There was no option to one sticker individually and leave out the rest. This single sticker feature has now been made live with the latest beta update and is set to come in the stable update soon.

In order to use this single sticker option, you must be using the latest WhatsApp for Android beta version 2.19.33. After ing the update, open the in-app WhatsApp Stickers Store and long press on a sticker in a not-yet-ed stickers pack. WhatsApp will then prompt to ask if you want to save that sticker as favourite. It will show you the size of the single sticker and offer a option at the bottom for saving the sticker in the app.

This new feature is very useful, especially for those who want an uncluttered stickers menu with only the relevant ones showing up. It also saves precious data for all the limited pack s.

8. WhatsApp's new Shared Media Options 50w6j

WhatsApp for Android beta v2.19.18 revamped the options s see in the Media section of individual or group chats. s when browsing photos in the Media section will now see new options if they tap the three-dot menu button. These are 'Show in Chat', 'Set as...' and 'Rotate'. The first option lets you see where that particular image or video was shared in the individual or group chat.

'Set as' isn't actually new, but instead of individual options for images to be 'Set as profile photo', 'Set as group icon', and 'Use as wallpaper', the menu has instead been simplified, and s can now tap the 'Set as...' overflow menu to see 'My profile photo', 'Group icon,' and 'Wallpaper' as the target locations. Finally, the 'Rotate' option isn't new either, but instead of 'Rotate left' and 'Rotate right' seen in previous builds, s can tap Rotate multiple times to achieve the same effect.

9. WhatsApp gets 21 new emoji designs 6w2h1w

WhatsApp for Android beta v2.19.21 brought new emoji designs for 21 emojis. The emojis that don new designs include puke emoji, kiss emoji, tongue-out emoji, heart-eyes emoji, french fries emoji, and more.

WhatsApp is bringing several new emojis

New WhatsApp features (spotted in development, disabled by default) 1t3k6

1. WhatsApp Dark Mode 3i2i27

WhatsApp is working on Dark Mode, and traces of it have Status bar once the feature has been enabled.

WhatsApp dark mode has only been seen in beta versions

But it appears that the “Request Info” and “Two Factor Authentication” are among a few sub-sections that won't get the dark colour scheme when the dark mode has been enabled, but it might change with the beta builds. It is worth mentioning here that these are just traces spotted in the code and the dark mode feature has officially not been rolled out for beta testers. At the moment, there is no word as to when the dark mode will arrive on WhatsApp for Android via a stable or beta update.

2. WhatsApp Picture in Picture Mode v2 32q4u

Inside the WhatsApp Android beta v2.19.86, Picture in Picture improvements was also spotted. The PiP mode allows allows s to watch videos, hosted on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Streamable in-app. PiP version 2 will also allow s switch chat without closing the PiP video bubble. s cannot switch chat without closing the video currently, and WhatsApp is reportedly now working on fixing this limitation. Furthermore, the next version of PiP mode will also allow WhatsApp s to watch a video in PiP mode even when the app is running in the background.

3. WhatsApp fingerprint authentication feature for Android 35434v

WhatsApp Android beta app version 2.19.83 revealed traces of a new Authentication feature were spotted. The company has been working on bringing this feature since a while now, and this update showed that WhatsApp has made a lot of progress. Unfortunately, this feature is disabled by default, so it won't work for beta s as of yet. It remains unclear when WhatsApp plans to roll it out for the stable version s.

As the name suggests, the Authentication feature will let WhatsApp s lock their , and unlock it using a fingerprint sensor. This feature should be enabled in Settings > > Privacy > Use Fingerprint to Unlock. Once it's enabled, WhatsApp will your fingerprint. It will then ask if you want the app to be locked immediately (after you leave the app)/ after 1 minute/ after 10 minutes/ or after 30 minutes.

WhatsApp will show a sign indicating to s that they needs to unlock the app using fingerprint authentication. It will show an error if the app is not unlocked after multiple tries. Notably, iPhone s already have the feature in the stable version of the iOS app, and apart from fingerprint authentication via Touch ID, facial recognition via Face ID is also available to them.

4 WhatsApp Frequently Forwarded label 171n3i

This new feature was spotted in WhatsApp Android beta version 2.19.80. The Frequently Forwarded label will show up if one message has been forwarded more than four times. WhatsApp looks to add this feature to help the to understand when a message is very popular on WhatsApp. The tracker notes that the Forwarding Info feature does not seem to be available when a message is set as Frequently Forwarded. While the Forwarding Info feature has been enabled in beta, this one still remains ‘disabled by default'.

5. WhatsApp's in-app browser 5x5n7

In March, WhatsApp Andriod beta version 2.19.74 was spotted to feature an in-app browser every time the tries to open a link shared over the app. This feature is disabled by default and still under development. The feature is being built to detect unsafe pages using the "Safe Browsing" feature which was added to Android 8.1 last year. It would alert s when a page is infected with malicious content.

6. WhatsApp Search Image feature 3j286f

WhatsApp for Android is reportedly also testing a new feature to let s search images that they received or sent to their s. The new feature, which is apparently called 'Search image', would use Google to search for the images directly from a WhatsApp chat. The Search Image feature is yet to make way to the instant messaging app, but has been spotted as disabled by default in WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.19.73.

7. WhatsApp Advanced Search feature 3k1h2

WhatsApp is working on a separate 'Advanced Search' feature that will allow s to search for photos, links, audio, GIF images, and even videos, apart from the usual text search that is already enabled. The Advanced Search feature will also show recent searches as well. Notably, the Advanced Search image feature is separate from the Search Image feature reported above. As mentioned, this feature is still under development, and will roll out to all iOS beta app s in a future update.

8. WhatsApp algorithmic feed for Status 615z2n

WhatsApp is reportedly working on a new layout to show status updates that will drastically change how stories are populated in the feed. The current iteration of WhatsApp shows the status updates in the order that they were posted, but the company is now experimenting with the idea of an algorithm-driven feed that will list the status updates based on relevance, instead of the existing reverse chronological order. WhatsApp has reportedly begun testing the new feed layout among a small group of s in certain regions.

The new algorithm will reportedly give preference to those s whose status updates are more frequently viewed by the s. The algorithm will also take into the frequency of interaction with a particular before positioning the status update by the person at a particular location in the feed. Priority will also be given to s whose status updates, the s are most likely to view, based on the past interactions. WhatsApp is reportedly testing the algorithmic status update feed with a small set of s on the iOS platform. The experiment is limited to some s in Brazil, Spain, and India.

9. WhatsApp for Android tests sending 30 audio files at once 2u271s

WhatsApp for Android is reportedly getting a redesigned section for sending audio files. The new redesigned audio files section is said to have the ability to add as many as 30 audio files at once. Presently, WhatsApp allows s to send only one audio file at a time. The redesigned section also reportedly lets s preview the audio and image (if available) of the file before sending.

The redesigned audio files section was a part of the WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.19.1. However, the new experience is currently disabled by default, and should be enabled sometime in the future.

We discussed what WhatsApp absolutely needs to do in 2019, on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts or RSS, the episode, or just hit the play button below.

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