Maintaining the essence of privacy and its intuitive nature, WhatsApp has launched several new features throughout 2024 to make your conversations more personal and fun. Here are some useful features you might have missed this year:
Organize like a pro!
Now you can manage contacts via WhatsApp Web, Windows, or any linked device. Plus, the option to save contacts exclusively on WhatsApp makes switching devices easier! Custom Lists and the Favorites feature have also arrived to keep your most important conversations just a tap away. Other organizational updates include searching messages by date and the Message Drafts feature, which keeps unfinished texts at the top of your list so you won’t forget them.
Staying connected just got easier (and more fun )
The new Events feature lets you create events, track RSVPs, and receive automatic reminders. Details are always accessible in the group info page for easy access. Video calls now support up to 32 people —and you can have fun with Filters and Backgrounds that match your mood. WhatsApp has also boosted call reliability with the MLow codec. On mobile devices, noise and echo cancellation have been improved for clearer conversations even in noisy environments. Video calls now offer higher resolution for those with faster connections, delivering an even smoother, high-quality experience.
The year voice messages got captions
Brazil, the king of voice messages on WhatsApp (sending 4x more than any other country!), now has automatic voice message transcripts. Perfect for following conversations in noisy places or avoiding long voice notes. Transcripts are processed on-device, keeping everything end-to-end encrypted. This means no one else—not even WhatsApp—can see, hear, or read your messages.
Follow what truly matters to you!
Keeping up with your favorite topics just got easier: explore Channels by browsing Categories like People, Organizations, Lifestyle, Sports, Entertainment, Business, and News & Information. Loved the content? Just forward it to a chat or post it directly to your Status.
Security is a priority here
The context cards feature has arrived in groups, providing more details like who added you, how long ago the group was created, and who created it. With this info, you can decide whether to stay or leave and review available security tools. This update complements existing features like silencing unknown calls, locked chats, privacy controls in the app, and settings for who can add you to groups.
Express your emotions more creatively!
Turn your photos into stickers or explore the vast collection on GIPHY full of amazing options—all on WhatsApp! If you’re a Channel creator, you can now share Voice Updates with your followers, a feature that’s been very popular. And there’s more: a Channel can now have up to 16 admins, making creation and management much easier!
Your AI assistant is ready to help
With Meta AI, you can ask any question to explore new topics or even settle a group debate. To get started, just open a chat with the assistant or tag @MetaAI in any conversation. And it doesn’t stop there! Meta AI can also generate incredible images with the /imagine command right in the chat.
Pix integrated into your profile
WhatsApp recently announced a feature developed especially for Brazilian users: the option to add your Pix key directly to your profile. The new button will appear below your profile picture, making it easier to share payment details without the classic question: “what’s your Pix?”. This optional feature will roll out gradually in Brazil by the end of January.
New ways to format your messages
Alongside Bold, Italic, Strikethrough, and Monospace, WhatsApp has added four new text formatting options to help users organize and craft messages. Now, you can communicate more effectively with bullet lists, numbered lists, block quotes, and inline code—ideal for developers sharing snippets or commands.
WhatsApp: always modern, simple, and accessible
2024 also brought design updates, including color changes, new icons and illustrations, and a modern native bottom navigation bar on Android. All changes were designed to keep WhatsApp simple, reliable, and private, focusing on intuitive flows that work universally while protecting user privacy. Idit Yaniv, WhatsApp’s Head of Design, shared insights in a post, showing how updates—big or small—impact how 2 billion people communicate worldwide.
