HIGHLIGHTS

* WhatsApp’s latest update for iPhones brings a bunch of new features.
* One of these is a sticker maker tool that eliminates the need of third-party apps.
* Here’s all you need to know about the latest WhatsApp update for iPhones.

WhatsApp is rolling out an update for iOS users, bringing several new features to the popular messaging app. The highlight of this update is the introduction of a sticker maker tool, which allows users to create custom stickers right within the app. The news was shared by WaBetaInfo.

The in-app sticker maker tool feature eliminates the need for users to switch between different third-party apps, making the process of creating and sharing stickers faster. Users currently have to select third-party sticker maker tool to create stickers.

According to the report, the tool works by allowing users to extract a subject from an image and paste it into a chat, where the app will automatically convert it into a sticker. The feature is rolling out to all iOS 16 users. The tool was spotted in the iOS version 23.7.82 of WhatsApp.

In addition to the new sticker maker tool, this update also includes several new group features, such as the ability to easily search for group in common, increased group participant limit to 1024, and more.

For users who don’t have these new features yet, they can expect it to come over the coming weeks.

With more than two billion active users around the world, WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps on the market. The app has become a central part of many people’s lives, allowing them to easily communicate with friends, family, and colleagues across different platforms and devices. With this latest update, WhatsApp will let users communicate using more than texts, images or videos.

WhatsApp recently rolled out a new iOS update that brings a bunch of new features for iphone users. One feature that many users might find useful is the sticker maker tool. With the latest update, iPhone users can make stickers directly on Whatsapp without having to download it from somewhere else.

“In particular, after extracting a subject right out of an image, it is needed to paste it into a chat. The app will automatically convert the image into a sticker that can be added to the user’s sticker collection. This feature is rolling out to all users on iOS 16, but there are no plans to bring it to older versions of iOS,” said WABetaInfo in a report.

The latest WhatsApp update version 23.7.82 is currently available for eligible iPhones. If you haven’t downloaded yet you can do so by going to the App Store. Once it’s updated, you can start using the sticker maker tool and other features as well. Speaking about the process to use this tool, it’s quite easy and leverages the iPhone’s photo editing tools.

Here’s how you do it

1. Open any photo on your iPhone and long press on the subject you want as a sticker.
2. Once you do that a small pop-up will appear with the options to copy/lookup.
3. Tap on select then go to WhatsApp and open any chat.
4. Simply paste the image in the text box and it will be sent as a sticker.
5. You can also add the sticker to your favourites from the chat. 

This feature is quite easy to use, and it’s quite fun too. You can basically make a sticker out of any image on your iPhone. There aren’t any customisation tools at present. So you can only copy and paste the image but not add any text or doodle over it. WhatsApp is expected to roll out more customisation options in the future. But for now you can use this quick and easy way to send stickers on WhatsApp.

In addition to the sticker maker tool, WhatsApp also increased the group participant limit to 1,024. It is also now easier to see which group your contacts are in from the search tool. Another feature added in this update is the ability for group admins to control who joins their group.

FAQ’s on WhatsApp New Feature

1) What is the new Lock chat feature of WhatsApp?

Ans) The Lock chat feature also ensures that photos and videos sent in a locked chat are not automatically saved to the device’s gallery. This additional layer of protection can prevent sensitive media from being viewed by anyone other than the intended recipient, providing greater peace of mind for users.

The Lock chat feature is still in the development stage, and a release date is yet to be announced. However, this feature is a significant step towards improving privacy on WhatsApp and gives users greater control over their conversations and media.

In addition to the Lock chat feature, WhatsApp is also testing a new text editor experience for some beta testers on Android beta.

This new text editor aims to enhance the typing experience and offer additional formatting options to users.

It’s worth noting that privacy and security have been an area of concern for WhatsApp in recent years, especially following the implementation of new privacy policies.

The company has been working to address these concerns and reassure users that their data is secure.

The Lock chat feature is just one of several measures that WhatsApp is implementing to protect user privacy.

WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption also ensures that only the sender and recipient can read the messages, making it difficult for anyone else to intercept or access the conversations.
WhatsApp’s Lock chat feature is a welcome development for users who prioritize privacy and security.

By providing greater control over private chats and media, WhatsApp is taking steps to improve user confidence and trust in the platform.

As WhatsApp continues to develop and implement new privacy features, it’s likely that the platform will continue to attract more users who are concerned about their privacy and data security.

2) How does the lock chat feature protect our privacy from anyone who borrows or uses are phone ?

Ans) Here’s how it works: When a chat is locked, it can only be accessed using the user’s fingerprint or passcode, making it almost impossible for anyone else to open the chat.
Also, if someone attempts to access the user’s phone and fails to provide the needed authentication, they will be asked to clear the chat to open it.

This feature also helps to keep media private by making sure that photos and videos sent in a locked chat are not automatically saved to the device’s gallery. The ability to lock chats is currently under development and is expected to be released in a future update of the application, the report said.

3) What is New text editor on WhatsApp?

Ans) Meanwhile, on Friday, it was reported that the messaging platform was rolling out a new text editor experience to some beta testers on Android beta.

Beta testers can now edit photos, videos and GIFs in the text editor, reports WABetaInfo.
Users will also be able to easily switch between different fonts by tapping one of the font options displayed above the keyboard.

The text alignment can also be changed to the left, centre or right, providing users with more control over formatting text within images, videos and GIFs.

Beta users can change the text background colour, making it simpler for them to differentiate important text from the rest.

Some new fonts have also been released to beta testers, including Calistoga, Courier Prime, Damion, Exo 2 and Morning Breeze, the report said.

Earlier, it was reported that the messaging platform was working on a new feature called “audio chats”, which will be available within conversations in a future update of the application on Android.

4) What Is 15 new durations for disappearing messages?

Ans) According to reports, WhatsApp is working on 15 new durations for disappearing messages.

Currently, the platform supports three durations for disappearing messages– 24 hours, 7 days and 90 days, reports WABetaInfo.

The new durations will be present under the “More options” menu. The menu will include 15 new durations — 1 year, 180 days, 60 days, 30 days, 21 days, 14 days, 6 days, 5 days, 4 days, 3 days, 2 days, 12 hours, 6 hours, 3 hours and 1 hour.

Users will undoubtedly have more control over the messages they send and receive with the addition of more durations for disappearing messages.

The report further mentioned that the 1-hour duration will likely be helpful for messages containing sensitive or confidential information because it will enable users to send a message that vanishes quickly, preventing the message from being saved on the recipient’s device for a long time.

For those who are unaware, disappearing messages is a feature that allows users to send messages that disappear from both the sender and receiver’s chat after a certain period of time.

5) What is the New feature to disable multiple answers within polls?

Ans) WhatsApp is testing a feature that prevents multiple responses in polls on Windows beta.

A new option is available within the poll creator which allows users to force other people to select only one answer, reports WABetaInfo.

As respondents are forced to select the option they firmly believe in, this new feature will result in more accurate polls. Moreover, this feature can be especially helpful for queries that only need one response as the poll will be more relevant.

Some WhatsApp beta testers have already received this functionality for Android and iOS.
The ability to disable multiple answers within polls is currently available for some beta testers that install the latest WhatsApp beta for Windows update available on the Microsoft Store, and is expected to roll out to more users over the coming days, the report said.

It was reported that the messaging platform was rolling out a new “multi-selection” feature for messages on Windows beta.

With the new feature, users can select multiple messages after clicking on “Select” within the context menu of a conversation. Also, they can click anywhere within a conversation and then the “Select messages” option will appear.

6) What is Readability of messages in community groups?

Ans) The messaging platform is rolling out a new full-width messaging interface for community announcement groups to some best testers on iOS beta, which will improve the readability of conversations.

Now, when beta testers open a community announcement group, message bubbles will cover the full width of the screen and the profile icon will be shown within the bubble, reports WABetainfo.

With the new interface, users will be able to read messages easily because the text will be displayed on a wider line.

Also, as the community announcement groups are the only conversations to receive this new interface, they will easily stand out from other chats.

The full-width messaging experience within community announcement groups is currently available to some beta testers after installing the latest version of WhatsApp beta for iOS from the TestFlight app, and is expected to roll out to more users over the coming days, the report said.

Last month, it was reported that the messaging platform was working to bring communities to its ‘WhatsApp Business’ application for iOS.

Also Read: WhatsApp to let users share status updates to Facebook stories; edit contacts within app

Also Read: WhatsApp’s upcoming features: ‘Audio chats’ on Android, Edit Messages Tab for iOS users