Riveting WhatsApp Features to Look Forward to

Photo Credit: Jeandré Badenhorst | techTography

WhatsApp is not particularly rushed with releasing new updates. There are a few WhatsApp features we can look forward to in the near future so let’s find out what they are.

Latest rumours about upcoming WhatsApp Features

Ads

I know, another app with ads. I’m not bothered by ads running in apps, as long as it’s well-designed and out of the way of the content I’m there for in the first place.

About a month ago, we learned that Facebook abandoned plans to view ads in WhatsApp as the whole team that was involved in this project was disassembled. Now it seems like the plans might still realise but on a smaller scale.

The latest we know is that ads will probably run in the Status tab and take the same effect as ads running between Instagram stories.

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Messages that Self-Destruct

There is evidence of Whatsapp developing a message timer to delete a specific message when the timer runs out. This feature mimics SnapChat’s photos disappearing after the user-set timer runs out.

Facebook suggested “Disappearing Messages” as a name for the feature but the WhatsApp team rejected the idea and changed it to “Delete Messages” since beta version 2.19.384.

It looks like timers may be set to 1 hour, a day, one week, a month and up to one year.

In-App Browser

A self-explanatory yet extremely useful feature. The in-app browser will allow you to, without exiting WhatsApp, open a link and use that website immediately.

This in-app browser will likely be based on Chrome and could even notify you if the link you are about to open is unsafe, which is a valuable way of safeguarding you against malicious websites or scams and spam.

This is probably one of the WhatsApp features I look forward to the most.

Boomerang

Though WhatsApp is not focussed on visual content, there are rumours that it may add a feature to record short, endlessly looping boomerang videos and share it with your contacts.

It was a rather big success on Instagram with plenty of users recording boomerang videos. Instagram made it fun and easy by allowing an array of filters and editing tools as well as sharing directly in the app.

Dark Mode

Already available in beta versions of WhatsApp, we know for sure that an official Dark Mode is coming to WhatsApp, but there is no indication as to when it will be available to the public.

The beta program is currently filled to capacity which means you will not be able to join now. Keep visiting Apple’s TestFlight site to find out when there will be another opening for you to join.

Android users, visit Google Play’s testing site to see whether there are new openings.

Shopping

It’s not hard to deduce that WhatsApp is owned by Facebook. After adding shopping with a virtual catalogue to the Facebook App in November 2019, it looks like it may also be coming to WhatsApp.

This feature makes it easier for buyers and sellers to make contact and seal the deal. WhatsApp is moving towards facilitating business transactions and advertisements as it already has the option to convert an account to a business account, adding features that benefit businesses.

Also, WhatsApp may add the checkout option to allow selling straight from within the app.

Closing

What are your thoughts on this list of forthcoming WhatsApp features? Leave your comments at the end of the article and tell us what your favourite feature is or what other features you would like to see.

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