Oliver Mitchell

WhatsApp Is Testing New Features (Again)

The current beta version of WhatsApp contains a few nifty features. This time, users will be given more control over chat the back-ups. The idea is the following: now you can exclude certain media files from being archived.

At the moment, WhatsApp already offers a similar option: you can skip the videos, received over a chat, from being backed up on the cloud server. Now, audios, voice notes, document files, and pictures will also become “skippable”.

Partly, the need for this know-how is caused by the fact that Google Drive space for WhatsApp gets limited. Previously, the app had limitless storage provided by Google. However, it’s not true anymore for images: photos and pictures.

So now, people will be able to control how much of the cloud storage will be used. At the same time, the app is testing a new algorithm to encrypt the data saved to a cloud server. 

Based on the classic end-to-end encryption, it will make the saved data — text messages, VMs, docs — basically unreadable to malicious actors. (If they manage to somehow nick it in the first place).

Another option to come is the dubbed Community feature. So far, it’s hard to say what it does exactly. Odds are, it will be a better version of Groups that WhatsApp has at the moment. 

Supposedly, it will give a community founder more administrative and delegating rights. Functionality could also meet some changes, possibly drawing inspiration from the updated FaceTime, in which users can stream music during a live convo, and so forth.

If you want to be among the early “tasters” of the new WA’s features, you can sign up for the WhatsApp testing program.   

Even though WhatsApp is the world’s #1 messenger, it has to catch up with Telegram which offers afar richer feature palettes. What options does WhatsApp desperately need in your opinion? Let us know in the comments!