WhatsApp is the most popular mobile messenger with 1.3
billion monthly active users, as per research firm Statista’s latest report.
What makes it stand out in an already over-crowded mobile messaging ecosystem
is the knack for striking a note with its users. It keeps coming with new
features almost every month to keep users happy. Here are some of the recent
features which make it all the more irresistible. However, to access many of
them, you need to be signed up for the beta version of the app on both Android
and iOS.
More control over
storage
WhatsApp has added a new page in the storage section to
provide users a sneak peek into the exact amount of internal memory an ongoing
chat with a friend or a group is occupying on the smartphone. This would help
users identify groups and chats which are using up vital real state on the
smartphone. To access it go to Settings->Data and Storage usage-> Storage
usage and you can see the contacts and groups with highest footprint. By
tapping on the contact you can see a break up of the space taken up by images,
videos, GIFs and docs and delete them manually.
Text status
WhatsApp’s MyStatus is one of the most loved features of the
mobile messenger. It allows users to express their thoughts with images, GIFs
and videos. Now they have added an option for text status with a colourful
background. The feature allows users to choose the colour of the background and
the type of font they want to use to make it look funky. To access it, go to
Status page and tap the pencil icon which appears right above the camera icon.
BookMyShow
integration
Popular booking platform BookMyShow has tied up with
WhatsApp to deliver confirmation messages or an M-ticket (mobile ticket) with
QR Code directly into the WhatsApp account of users who book a movie or any
other ticket on BookMyShow app. Earlier the message was sent to users via
email. This feature is part of WhatsApp’s new Business initiative which strives
to help people connect with businesses faster.
Share bigger files
WhatsApp wants users to share anything they want on the
messenger app. It allows users to share any type of files, documents and even
apk files on the platform. It has also increased the size of the file one can
share on it to 100MB. Earlier, users could only share files of up to 16MB at a
time.
