WhatsApp is developing these 12 new features

New features in WhatsApp

WhatsApp is testing a variety of upcoming features with beta versions on both iOS and Android. Every now and then these functions leak out, giving you a good idea of ​​what's coming. In this roundup, we'll cover the key new features for WhatsApp coming soon. It is still unclear when many features will be released. All features have recently been leaked by WABetaInfo, who are more likely to leak features early.

• Multiple devices
• iPad version

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• Transfer chats
• View photos and videos once
• Automatically delete messages
• Holiday mode
• Enhanced audio messages
• Backup protection
• Search by date
• Googling forwarded images< /li>
• WhatsApp Pay to more countries
• Merging

This article was previously published in April 2019 and June 2020, but has been completely updated with the most recent new upcoming features and therefore republished for 2021. Many features have been leaked via WABetaInfo, which regularly discovers new features early in betas.

#1 On multiple devices
The biggest limitation of WhatsApp is still that you can only install the app on one iPhone. You can use WhatsApp on the desktop, but for that the app must always be connected to your phone. WhatsApp is working on a new system that allows you to activate your account on multiple devices. You can then use multiple smartphones, but also install them on a tablet, for example (see the point about the iPad version). This would involve at least four devices at the same time.

WhatsApp has now confirmed the release of multi-device support and is currently in beta. In the coming weeks, users of the beta version of WhatsApp (via Testflight) can already try the function, where you can link up to four other devices to your account via the WhatsApp settings. You can read more about the technical background of this feature in a blog post by WhatsApp owner Facebook.

#2 iPad version coming
WhatsApp is also still working on WhatsApp on the iPad. The first screenshots of the iPad version of WhatsApp have also appeared a while ago. The iPad version lets you link your account with WhatsApp on your iPhone. This means you just use the same phone number. When WhatsApp will come to the iPad is still a mystery, but we think it will be a while. The makers have not yet confirmed the arrival, but have hinted that they would like to support the iPad.

#3 Transfer chats between iOS and Android
If you've ever switched from Android to iPhone (or vice versa), you've probably noticed that you can't just transfer your WhatsApp chats. That's because for the backups, both versions use a different system: on iOS from iCloud and on Android from Google Drive. But with the arrival of multi-device support, it should also become possible to migrate your WhatsApp chats from Android to iOS.

#4 View photos and videos once
This feature seems to be coming soon, as the feature is already active in the beta on iOS. Here's how it works: When sending a photo or video in a chat, you can enable an option that makes the photo or video only viewable once. If the recipient opens the photo or video and leaves the chat, the photo or video is also gone. WhatsApp warns that a screenshot can always be taken. As a sender, you will not be notified of this. So keep that in mind if you plan to use the feature soon.

#5 Automatically delete messages after 24 hours
Currently you already have an option to automatically send disappearing WhatsApp messages . WhatsApp currently has a 7-day limit, but an option will be added. In addition to 7 days, you will also be given the option of 24 hours, so that a message is only visible for one day. This makes it comparable to the well-known stories in Instagram, for example, which are only visible for 24 hours.

Read more about how the disappearing messages in WhatsApp already work.

#6 Vacation mode returns: archived chats remain archived
Years ago, WhatsApp worked on a sort of vacation mode. It is a kind of extension of the archive function. Currently, chats that you have placed in the archive are automatically restored to your chat overview when a new message is sent. This is no longer the case with the so-called holiday mode. Conversations will then always remain in your archive if you so choose. There will be a new overview where you can view all your archived chats and change the settings. This button to go to your archived overview is always at the top of your general chat overview. A number indicates how many new messages are in archived chats and you can even see if you're listed somewhere.

#7 Improved audio messages
The voice messages in WhatsApp are popular for sending messages without having to type. You just record your voice and send it in a simple tap. Recently, WhatsApp already made it possible to accelerate the playback of WhatsApp voice messages, but more improvements are coming. WhatsApp will soon show sound waves when recording and makes it possible to listen back to your message before sending. Especially the latter is a wish of many users, because now your audio message is sent immediately.

#8 Protect backup with password
WhatsApp is also going to increase the security, specifically that of your WhatsApp backup. The chat app plans to add password protection to your WhatsApp backups. This prevents someone with access to your iCloud account and your phone number from restoring your chat history. WhatsApp already has two-step verification, but this extra step makes it even more secure.

#9 Search by date
With WhatsApp's extensive search function, you can search for specific messages within chats as well as through all chats. There is also an advanced search function, where you can use filters. But WhatsApp is also working on a way to search by date. As soon as you search within a chat, you will see a calendar button at the bottom right with which you can select the date. So if you know when someone has said something, it can save a lot of time. It's been a while since we've heard of this upcoming improvement, so it's unclear if it's coming.

#10 Google Forwarded Images
WhatsApp took all kinds of measures in the past year to prevent the spread of fake news. For example, you can only forward a message to a limited number of people. In addition, there will be an option to search for photos in reverse. This means that you can search for a photo that you have received via WhatsApp via Google. This allows you to check whether a photo is real or whether it has been taken from the internet. Something similar is already possible with frequently forwarded text messages.

2021 – July 20, 16:21: The article has been adjusted for the situation in 2021, with new upcoming features added and features that have already appeared. Comments have been cleaned as a result.