An upcoming update to WhatsApp will bring features to the chat app that Telegram also has. With so-called communities, administrator rights and emoji reactions, WhatsApp will soon be different for everyone.
In recent weeks, beta testers of WhatsApp have been presented with other new functionality. For example, more is possible with voice messages (also known as ‘voicies’). For example, to pause a voice message recording and play the message itself before sending it.
The interface for the camera is also being overhauled, although Android users are still better off taking pictures with the regular camera app for the best photo and video quality. It will also be possible to share larger files up to two gigabytes.
Communities and emoji reactions
The latest updates were in a blog post officially revealed. Many organizations, teams, schools and other large groups use WhatsApp group conversations with many participants on a regular basis. This is where Communities should bring more order, which can be used more for announcements instead of a busy group conversation. In smaller discussion groups, you can continue texting if you wish without exposing everyone in the community to countless messages, as is often the case with large app groups.
In the blog post, WhatsApp developers use the following real-world example: “For example, Communities can make it easier for a school principal to bring all parents together in one place to share critical updates and set up groups on specific classes, extracurricular activities, or volunteer needs.”
The administrators of such a community also have more rights. For example, to delete messages for everyone.
Finally, it is possible for users (also in regular conversations and group conversations) to respond with an emoji. This will be attached to the message. This way you don’t have to respond with an emoji in a separate message. This is already possible in Slack or Telegram, for example. This update will look familiar to Telegram users in particular, since both the emoji reactions and communities have been incorporated into the WhatsApp alternative for some time.
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