12 new features that may change the way you use WhatsApp

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12 new features that may change the way you use WhatsApp

WhatsApp is one of the most widely-used mode of instant messaging globally. The new features that the app gets every few weeks helps in sustaining its popularity. While some of these features are incremental changes, some others change the way we use the app. These new features are first tested in beta mode. Here are 12 features spotted in WhatsApp betathat promise to change the way you use WhatsApp:

All images courtesy: WABetaInfo

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To keep your chats more secure

Already available for iPhone users, this feature was also seen in testing phase for Android users on beta version 2.19.83. This feature will allow users to add a security layer to the app and will open only according to the settings you have selected. After enabling it, you can configure when the authentication feature should lock the app -- Immediately, After 1 minute, After 10 minutes or after 30 minutes.

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Blocking the option of taking chat screenshots

In what can easily be called as one of the biggest change that is yet to come to WhatsApp, the instant messaging app will block users to take screenshots of chats, if they enable biometric authentication. This was spotted in WhatsApp beta version 2.19.106.

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To find out how frequently a message has been forwarded

WhatsApp is also said to be working on rolling out a feature that will tell users how frequently a message has been forwarded. Users will also be able to see how many times a message was forwarded in the 'Forwarding Info' tab. This was spotted in WhatsApp beta version 2.19.97.

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Changing the way audio files are sent on WhatsApp

Seen in WhatsApp Beta version 2.19.89, this feature is said to allow users to play the audio files before sending it. Also, it will allow them to send 30 audio files at once.

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Dark mode for better ‘visibility’

A much awaited feature on WhatsApp, the dark mode was last seen in WhatsApp Beta version 2.19.87. This mode has been seen on various windows of the instant messaging app including main settings, account settings, chats settings, notification settings, and data and storage usage settings.

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Support for automatic playing of voice messages

WhatsApp will soon allow its users to play voice messages consecutively. This means that users won't have to press play on on each message as the next message will play automatically as soon as the first one ends playing. This was seen in WhatsApp Android Beta version 2.19.86.

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Using multiple apps for videos within WhatsApp

Also seen in the WhatsApp Android Beta version 2.19.86, this feature is claimed to allow users to watch videos from YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Streamable even they switch chat without closing the video. Moreover, it will continue to play these videos even if you go to another app, just as long as WhatsApp is running in background.

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Opening links in Whatsapp set to become easier

WhatsApp is also said to working on launching an In-App Browser, which will open when the users will try to open a link. This browser is also said to be able to detect if the requested page is not safe to visit. This was seen in WhatsApp Android Beta version 2.19.74.

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Stickers are also set to get better

Animated stickers that work sort of like GIFs have been been spotted in WhatsApp. These stickers can be included in an existing stickers pack. This feature has allegedly been spotted in all three operating systems -- Android, iOS and Web.

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Hiding chats may become simpler

WhatsApp is said to be working on adding an option that will allow its users the control whether chats get unarchived when a new message arrives. Currently, when you archive a chat, WhatsApp automatically unarchives it once a new message arrives from that chat. This was spotted in WhatsApp Beta version 2.19.101.

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Checking if an image sent is fake or real

Seen in WhatsApp Beta version 2.19.73, this feature is said to allow users search an image on the internet that you sent/received in your chats. In other words, users will be able to check whether any news or information related to that image is fake or real.

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More options in emojis

Soon, WhatsApp will replace the current emojis sticker in the doodle picker to make way their official emojis. This means that the current emojis that you get while sending any image to contact, will be replaced by the ones you see on your keyboard. This was spotted in the WhatsApp Beta version 2.19.110.