To keep up with the diverse demands and expectations of its users, the company keeps introducing new features so that people have a consistently good experience using the app. Here are 10 features introduced by WhatsApp in recent months that you need to know about. 

1. WhatsApp Payments

Powered by Unified Payments Interface (UPI), WhatsApp Pay is a feature which is still in its testing phase and is available to a very few users in the country. If and when the feature is rolled out in full swing, it can be a huge blow to other money transfer apps that people use. The feature will work on both Android and iOS phones and WhatsApp has partnered with all major banks such as ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, SBI, Yes Bank to make the transactions smoother.

2. Delete for Everyone

Gone are days when we used to panic after sending a wrong text to a wrong person (or the right text to wrong person). You can easily delete the message after sending it, for up to 4,096 seconds, which is 68 minutes and 16 seconds to be precise. Earlier the limit was 7 minutes but it was extended later for the convenience of the users.

3. Group Video Calling

In order to make the experience of video calling better, WhatsApp rolled out the feature of group video calling for its users. This allows them to add more members to an ongoing video call by tapping on the icon that is placed on the top right corner of the screen.

4. Group Description Feature

WhatsApp group feature allows many people to interact in the same chat window, allowing the messages to be exchanged with multiple people at the same time. The new description feature enables the users to give a detailed explanation (of up to 500 words) of what the group is about. Any change in the description, including its deletion, is notified to all the members of the group.

5. WhatsApp For Business

This feature enables business owners to interact with their customers. By using this they can also manage their presence on the platform. WhatsApp has claimed that there are many verified business profiles for companies like Bookmyshow, Makemytrip, Xiaomi, Myntra and others that are available on the platform.

6. Video To Voice Call Feature

The users don’t have to disconnect an ongoing voice call to start a video call with the person they are talking to. They can easily jump from one to another by pushing a hidden switch. However, the other party will be required to give their consent before the video call can start.

7. Time & Location Stickers

The users can now add location and time stickers to any photo or video while sharing them. They just need to select a picture from the gallery and then click on the smiley icon on the bottom left. This will open the option of stickers that can be added as stamps. Once this is done, they can directly share it with their friends. 

8. Apple CarPlay Feature

The iPhone and iPad users will now be able to communicate with their contacts while driving, with the help of this technology. Apple has very strict policies for this but WhatsApp managed to adhere to all of them.

9. WhatsApp YouTube Integration

Users will be able to play Youtube videos directly on the chat window. Earlier, people had to switch from one platform to other and it made the whole process inconvenient and tedious. The video will be playing in a small bubble and users will be able to change its size depending on their preference.

10. WhatsApp Adaptive Icon

Available on Android Oreo operating system, this feature allows the users to change the shape of the WhasApp icon on their phones. The new icon will be placed in an encased mask, the shape of which will be of your choice.

WhatsApp has been a game changer as far as messenger apps are concerned and with these cool updates it seems it’s definitely going to retain this status.