WhatsApp officially launches for all users a number of innovations that have so far only appeared in the beta version of the app. The most significant of these is the possibility of a quick emoji response to messages, which will appear next to the message itself.
To respond, the user is required to long-click on the message, then select the desired icon from six different options: Like, Heart, Surprise, Laugh, Cry, and Thank You (or “Prayer”). WhatsApp already promises to expand the list later.
Another innovation is a significant increase in the maximum file volume that can be sent through the app, from 100 MB to 2 GB. Each file is sent while encrypted from end to end (end-to-end encryption), and for larger files the meter will display the amount of time it takes to transfer the file.
WhatsApp has also decided to increase the maximum number of users that can belong to one group, to 512 users. In the background, the company is also working on additional tools for monitoring content published in the group, such as deleting messages by the group’s managers, but this does not yet exist in the latest version.
The update is expected to reach all users over the coming week, as long as the latest version of the iOS or Android app is installed on the device.