Latest WhatsApp New Features Today 2024 | How to Use WhatsApp New Features

WhatsApp is one of the most popular instant messaging programs in the world. Many people nowadays communicate with WhatsApp, and the firm is constantly adding features and improvements to make the experience easier and more pleasurable.

List of Latest WhatsApp New Features Today

Here are the latest Whatsapp features, which users will receive when they upgrade their app:

1. Group Participants Limit Increased

The increased group restriction on Whatsapp may have resulted from user concerns and the migration of groups to a competitor program, Telegram, which allows up to 2,000 people in a group. Nonetheless, the increased number is considerably below what Telegram provides.

WhatsApp users can now add up to 512 individuals to a group. This was upped from the platform’s previous maximum of 256.

2. Admin Delete

This new feature enables group managers to delete incorrect or problematic remarks from everyone’s conversations, which may be contentious. The admin now has the ability to ‘remove everyone’ if a group member delivers an insulting remark.

3. Increased File Sharing Size

Users of the WhatsApp app will now be able to share files up to 2GB in size at once, up from the previous maximum of 100mb. For bigger files, we recommend utilizing WiFi, and we’ll show you a counter while uploading or downloading to let you know how long it will take.

4. WhatsApp Reactions

Users will be able to react with six distinct emojis on the platform: smiling face, red heart, astonished face, thumbs up, teary face, and hands combined with the new reaction emojis. To utilize the functionality, simply long-press on a message and select one of the emojis that appear. Users may alter their reactions by long-pressing the same messages and changing the emoji or just clicking on the same one to erase it, exactly like on Instagram.

WhatsApp also specifies key things about the Reaction feature, including the fact that users may only add one reaction per message and that it disappears when the messages are deleted. Users will also be unable to conceal reactions or reaction counts. The receivers may notice the reaction before you remove it or if you are unsuccessful in removing it.

5. Larger Voice Calls

This feature enables one-tap voice calling for up to 32 individuals with an all–new look for when conversing life is preferable to chatting.

These new features will undoubtedly improve Whatsapp’s user experience. The ability to transfer huge files up to 2GB is a significant increase above the previous restriction of 100MB. The restriction of 512 group members is likewise not awful.

6. Message Yourself

WhatsApp started rolling out the Message Yourself feature on 29 November. The feature lets users text themselves. According to WhatsApp, users can now send themselves messages that act as reminders, to-dos, or even moments.

Users will find the option of messaging themselves by tapping the chat icon. They will then select their own contact card from the list. Messages can be sent in the same way as they are to other contacts.

Anything from simple text messages to voice messages and pictures can be sent to oneself.

The feature is a great way to help the user make notes.

7. Communities

WhatsApp launched the Communities feature on 3 November. In a blog post, the company said that the “major update” is being rolled out globally and will be available to all users in the next few months.

“Communities like neighborhoods, parents at a school, and workplaces can now connect multiple groups together under one umbrella to organize group conversations on WhatsApp,” the company said.

Being in a Community will allow the user to get information from various groups in the community and receive updates from other members within the community — all of whom share a common interest.

Additionally, WhatsApp said that Communities will help “organizations communicate with a level of privacy and security.”

“The alternatives available today require trusting apps or software companies with a copy of their messages – and we think they deserve the higher level of security provided by end-to-end encryption,” WhatsApp said.

According to the company, 50 organizations in 15 countries were involved in providing feedback to WhatsApp for Communities.

8. In-chat polls, 32-person video calling, and larger groups

WhatsApp also launched three more features alongside Communities.

These include creating polls in chat and a major expansion to video calling, which would now include up to 32 persons at a time. Groups can now be created with up to 1,024 users.

WhatsApp said in its blog that all three new features will be “particularly helpful for Communities.”

9. New Features to Enhance Privacy

On 9 August, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed that WhatsApp is getting a new set of increased privacy features.

According to the BBC, Zuckerberg said the features will help keep WhatsApp messaging “as private and secure as face-to-face conversations.”

One of the most important features is letting users exit a group, notifying none of the members, except admins. As of now, all members of a group are alerted by a notification within the chat box when a member leaves the group or is dropped.

Similarly, users will be able to control who can see them online. They can choose which of their contacts won’t be able to see when the user is online.

A third feature will help those who send View Once messages. These are messages that disappear once the intended recipient has seen them. The feature update will prevent other users from taking screenshots of View Once messages, securing the privacy of the sender.

10. Improving voice messages

With the introduction of voice messages in 2013, sharing voice notes became a quick and easy process, helping those who do not want to type a message. The simply designed feature helps users share more intimate and expressive conversations in the form of a voice note.

In a 30 March 2024 blog, WhatsApp reported that its users share 7 billion voice messages on average, which are protected and kept private using end-to-end encryption.

Taking a cue from this, the messaging app launched new features in March 2024 to improve the WhatsApp voice message experience. These include:

Chat playback: It helps you hear a voice message outside the chat, while you read and respond to other messages or multitask on your smartphone.

Pause/resume recording: You can pause your voice message recording to, for example, collect your thoughts or do away with distractions and resume recording once ready.

Waveform visualisation: It shows a visual representation of the sound, on the voice message, to indicate the recording is on.

Draft preview: You can listen to your voice messages before sending them to your loved ones or clients.

Remember playback: In case you press pause while listening to a voice message in a chat, this feature lets you resume from where you left off.

Fast playback on Forwarded Messages: The feature allows you to increase the speed of regular and forwarded voice messages to 1.5x or 2x, to listen to them faster.

11. Introducing communities

Organizations like local clubs, schools or businesses heavily depend on WhatsApp to work and share confidential information. This is why, the messaging app introduced a one-stop solution called Communities in April 2024.

This feature helps to share information with a larger number of people by bringing different group chats under one roof, using a system that benefits them.

In this way, people can receive updates sent to the entire community, as well as set up smaller discussion groups who share common interests. For instance, a school principal can use the Community feature to bring all the parents together and share important updates in one space. They can also create groups for specific classes or extracurricular activities.

Additionally, Communities will empower group admins with new tools that include announcement messages that can be broadcast to everyone.

More features will be enabled before the entire Communities interface is launched later in 2024. While they have not specified the date, WhatsApp is focussing on developing Communities this year to support its daily users.

Post-launch, they will be able to use Admin Delete, where WhatsApp group admins can delete problematic messages from everyone’s chats, and voice calls, a one-tap voice calling feature where up to 32 people can be on the call.

Reactions, sharing large files, and increased group sizes

The messaging app updated its interface with emoji Reactions on 5 May.

The update includes six emoji reactions — love, laugh, sad, surprise, and thanks. These are similar to the ones available on Facebook and Instagram. Quick and fun to use, the reactions appear under messages when you tap on them and hold them down for a couple of seconds. The user can select the most suitable reaction for the options. The feature helps to reduce the number of messages as well. Additionally, Meta shared that it will be adding more expressions to this feature.

Through the update, users can share a file size of 2 GB on WhatsApp. The limit was earlier set at 100 MB. However, it is advised to use WiFi for the seamless transfer of larger files. Also, while downloading or uploading a file, a counter will be displayed, indicating the time the file will take to transfer. The feature is safeguarded with end-to-end encryption.

To further support businesses, schools, and other close-knit groups, WhatsApp will allow group admins to add up to 512 people to a group.

Supporting small businesses

WhatsApp is leaving no stone unturned to support businesses globally. The company announced that it is developing advanced features to help businesses operate and amplify their presence online. For instance, WhatsApp will make it easy to manage chats on up to 10 devices.

Additionally, to attract customers online, it will provide new customizable WhatsApp click-to-chat links. However, these features will be included as a premium, chargeable service that you can opt for if you have a WhatsApp Business account.

As a complimentary service, the company is offering free, secure cloud-hosting services for all businesses, irrespective of their sizes. With the new API, not only has the start-up time to access WhatsApp reduced to minutes but businesses can also customize their experiences and quickly reach out to their customers. You can sign up directly or contact Meta’s business solution providers to get started.

Privacy control for profile picture, Last Seen

One of the most-awaited WhatsApp updates of 2024 gives users the ability to hide their profile pictures, status updates and Last Seen statuses from specific contacts.

A new option named ‘My Contacts Except…’ has been added to the existing three — ‘Everyone’, ‘My Contacts’ and ‘Nobody’ — that can be selected from the Privacy screen.

When ‘My Contacts Except…’ is selected, information about statuses, profile pictures and Last Seen is hidden from the contacts who are in the exceptions list. This means that users have greater control over who can see their information.

Other upcoming features

WhatsApp is also looking to introduce more features and updates in 2024 to simplify user experience. While the date of launch is yet to be confirmed, the features are likely to debut this year.

For iOS users, the app will enable them to see profile photos of individuals and groups in WhatsApp notifications. While this feature is in the testing stage, it will soon be released for others.

WhatsApp is planning to redo the design of its interface that tells who you are sharing media with. It will allow users to choose new recipients before sending media files. You will also be able to share an image, a video, or a GIF on your status as well as chats.

A feature that might also get introduced this year across multiple devices would allow users to log out of their WhatsApp accounts, similar to Facebook or Instagram.

FAQs

What are some of the new features introduced in WhatsApp in 2024?

WhatsApp introduced several exciting features in 2024, including real-time translation for messages, enhanced privacy controls with disappearing messages for group chats, immersive 3D stickers, and an integrated digital wallet for easy payments within the app.

How can I use the real-time translation feature in WhatsApp?

Using real-time translation in WhatsApp is simple. Just long-press on a message written in a language you don’t understand, and an option to translate will appear. Tap on it to instantly translate the message into your preferred language.

What are disappearing messages for group chats, and how do I enable them?

Disappearing messages for group chats allows you to set messages to disappear after a specified period, adding an extra layer of privacy to your conversations. To enable this feature, go to the group chat, tap on the group name, select “Disappearing Messages,” and choose the desired duration.

Can you explain how the integrated digital wallet works in WhatsApp?

The integrated digital wallet in WhatsApp streamlines the process of sending and receiving payments within the app. Simply link your preferred payment method, such as a bank account or debit card, to your WhatsApp account. Then, navigate to a chat, tap on the attachment icon, and select “Payment” to send money securely to your contacts.