Maintaining the essence of privacy and its intuitive nature, WhatsApp launched several new features throughout 2024 to make your conversations more personal and fun. Here are some useful resources that you may have overlooked this year
Organize like a master!
Now you canmanage contactsvia WhatsApp Web, Windows, or any linked device. Additionally, the option to save contacts exclusively on WhatsApp makes device switching easier! As Custom Listsand the option ofFavoritesThey also arrived to help keep the most important conversations within a touch's reach. Other news that helped organize users was the ability to search messages by date and the functionalityMessage Drafts, which keeps unfinished texts at the top of the list, ensuring they are not forgotten.
Being close just got even easier (and more fun)
The new functionalityEventsAllows creating events, tracking RSVPs, and receiving automatic reminders. The details are always accessible on the group's information page, making access easier. Video calls now support up to32 people– and you can have fun withFilters and Backgroundsthat match your mood. WhatsApp also increased the reliability of calls with the MLow codec. In mobile devices, noise and echo cancellation have been improved, making conversations clearer even in noisy environments. Video calls have gained higher resolution for those with faster connections, providing an even smoother and high-quality experience.
The year audios gained subtitles
Brazil, the king of audio messages on WhatsApp (sending 4x more than any other country!), now hasautomatic transcriptions of voice messagesPerfect for keeping up with conversations in noisy environments or avoiding listening to those long audios. The transcripts are rendered on the device, ensuring that everything remains end-to-end encrypted. This means that no one else, not even WhatsApp, can see, hear, or read the messages.
Follow what really matters to you!
Staying on top of your favorite topics just got easier: explore Channels by browsingCategoriesas People, Organizations, Lifestyle, Sports, Entertainment, Business, and News and Information. Did you like the content? Just forward it to a conversation or publish it directly on yourStatus.
Safety is a priority around here
Youcontext cardsThey arrived in the groups bringing more information, including who added you, how long ago the group was created, and who created it. Based on this information, you can decide whether to stay or leave the group and review some of the security tools available to keep yourself safe on WhatsApp. The novelty arrived supporting existing features, such assilence unknown calls, locked conversations, privacy controlin the application and settingswho can add you to groups.
Express your emotions in a more creative way!
Transform yourphotos on stickersor explore the extensive collection ofGIPHYFull of amazing options, all on WhatsApp! If you are a Channel Creator, you can now shareVoice Updateswith your followers, a feature that has been very popular. And there's more: now a Channel can have up to16 administrators, making creation and management much easier!
Your AI assistant is ready to lend a helping hand
With theMeta AI, you can ask any question to explore new topics or even settle that debate in the group. To get started, just open a conversation with the assistant or tag @MetaAI in any chat. And it doesn't stop there! Meta AI can also generate amazing images with the command/imaginedirectly in the chat.
Pix integrated into the 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 be available below the profile picture, making it easier for those who need to make a transfer, without the need for the famous question: "What's your Pix?". The new feature is optional and will begin to be implemented gradually in Brazil until the end of January.
New ways to format your messages
Added to Bold, Italic, Strikethrough and Monospace, WhatsApp gainedfour new formatting optionsText to help the user organize and create their messages. Now, it is possible to communicate more effectively with item lists, numbered lists, block quotes, and inline code, often used by developers who need to share code snippets or commands.
WhatsApp is always modern, simple and accessible
2024 was also a year of some design updates, such as changes in colors, icons, and illustrations, as well as a new native and modern bottom navigation bar on Android. All changes were designed to keep WhatsApp simple, reliable, and private, focusing on a design perspective that creates intuitive and clear flows, that work universally, and help people connect while protecting users' privacy. Idit Yaniv, WhatsApp's Head of Design, shared everything about these decisions in apost, showing how any updates, big or small, can impact the way 2 billion people communicate around the world.
