If you can’t wait for these features to come on the public WhatsApp app, you can join the WhatsApp Beta programme. (Image Reuters)
WhatsApp is one of the most popular instant messaging apps on both Android and iOS platforms. And to maintain the top spot the company keeps on pushing updates with new features to better the user experience. The company also tests all of these new features in its beta version of the app before rolling out the feature to every user.
Today we decided to compile a list of the upcoming features that will soon be made available to WhatsApp users. However, if you can’t wait for these features to come on the public WhatsApp app, you can join the WhatsApp Beta programme to get them before everyone else.
Facebook Story Sharing
WhatsApp will soon let users share their status updates directly on Facebook Stories, similar to how users can do on Instagram. To enable this feature WhatsApp is using Facebook’s data sharing API, which makes it possible for users to not interlink their WhatsApp account with their Facebook profile to post the stories. This feature is currently being tested out only on Android.
Night Mode
WhatsApp is currently working on a dark mode version of its app. According to reports, this new mode will be called the Night Mode and just like Android’s Dark Mode will make the overarching theme of the app black. This will help smartphones with OLED panels save on battery life and will also be easy on users eyes in dimly lit situations.
QR Code
The new QR code feature will allow users to add contacts to their smartphones by scanning other users WhatsApp QR codes. When this feature is made live each user will be granted a unique QR code that others can scan and add them to their contact lists. This feature is already available on apps like WeChat.
Cleaner album layout
WhatsApp’s iOS version will soon get a much cleaner album layout. With the next update, WhatsApp will start clubbing multiple photos into one single bubble on WhatsApp Chats. Additionally, the app will show a number of photos that are in an album bubble.
Profile picture protection
We recently saw this feature go live on Android, and it will soon be made available on iOS. This feature will help protect its users profile picture from being downloaded by other users. After this feature is activated users will also not be able to take screenshots of a users profile pictures. Users will still be able to download group images.