This 9 new exciting features that WhatsApp is set to launch in 2022 are expected to enhance the messaging experience for users. Let’s explore these features together:
It’s not news that tech-companies and software developers use Artificial Intelligence and the audio feature enabled on mobile Apps to listen to our conversation.
That they listen is not the problem, what they do with the information is key. In this case, Meta listened to WhatsApp users request for more control and ability to do more with the chatting App.
According to 91.Mobiles, Meta, the mother company for WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram, introduced a series of features in 2021. Happy to announce to our esteemed readers that the company is set to release even cooler features in 2022.
To this end, WhatsApp has been seen working on a handful of new features in recent months. Some of these features are presently undergoing development, while others are reportedly being tested in beta version. Which is to say that users should anticipate the rollout sooner rather than later.
During the testing phase, WhatsApp was spotted trying Instagram Reels integration on the platform. See all features in the table below:
| 9 WhatsApp features expected to launch in 2022 |
| 1. A new group (community) feature |
| 2. WhatsApp logout |
| 3. No time limit for deleting sent messages |
| 4. Message reaction like on Facebook, Instagram |
| 5. Read later |
| 6. Hide your ‘last seen’ from specific contacts |
| 7. WhatsApp Insurance |
| 8. Create your own sticker |
| 9. Instagram Reels on WhatsApp |
- A new group (community) feature
WhatsApp is working on a new community feature that is reportedly similar to some existing Apps like discord groups and channels which are unpopular in Nigeria. This is entirely different from the groups feature that already exists in WhatsApp. This new communities feature will give admins more control over different aspects of the chatting app. For example, Admins will be able to create multiple groups inside a community. Meaning you can Admins’ group within a community. It’s like having a sub-group within a group. Like other chats, the community chats will be end-to-end encrypted. Details are still very sketchy about this feature. However, we are convinced that this feature will be publicly rolled out sometime this year.
- WhatsApp logout
According to a report by WaBetaInfo, which tracks WhatsApp updates, the app will finally bring in a logout option for its users. When released, this new feature will replace the ‘Delete Account’ button and support the multi-device feature. The option will allow users to log out of WhatsApp accounts from their devices, just like Facebook and other social networking apps. The feature, as recently spotted on the new beta version of WhatsApp, will be rolled out on both Android and iOS devices. In addition, the WhatsApp logout feature is likely to allow people on the app to use their accounts on multiple devices at the same time.
- No time limit for deleting sent messages
Long ago, WhatsApp gave users the permission to right their wrongs by deleting sent messages within a time limit of up to 4,096 seconds (68 minutes and 16 seconds). But with this new updates coming, the company might be planning to remove this limit once and for all because there was no time limit for executing the delete action during the testing. The implications for this feature may include that users may be able to delete their sent messages from any time in the past. Having said that, there’s no clear timeline when this feature will be available. We hope it is our soonest.
- Message reaction like on Facebook, Instagram
With this new features coming on WhatsApp, it looks like users would soon be able to react to WhatsApp messages the same way it is on Facebook and Instagram currently. The feature will reportedly be dubbed message reaction and will allow users to react to a message using a total of six emojis. Message reactions will be available in individual chat threads as well as group chats. Additionally, it will be possible for users to enable or disable the notifications for message reaction from the ‘Reaction Notifications’ option.
- Read Later, Not Archive
One of the latest features that is being introduced is the ‘Read later’ option which replaces the need option for Archive. It is expected to be an improved version of the existing Archived Chats feature on WhatsApp. When a chat is moved to read later, WhatsApp won’t send notifications for that chat. Also, the feature will include a ‘vacation mode’, which will ensure that the ‘Read Later’ chats work the same way as Archived chats on the current stable version. Read later will also come with an edit button for users to customise settings be able to select multiple chats at once to quickly unarchive them.
- Hide your ‘last seen’ from specific contacts
WhatsApp introduced this feature a long time ago allowing users to hide the time stamp of the last time they came online. However, there was no way to select specific contacts to hide it from. Once activated, all your contacts won’t be able to see it. Truth be told, it has been a handy feature for people who want to hide their availability from their WhatsApp contacts like me. Unfortunately, it has caused issues for some users who prefer to only hide their last seen status from a few people rather than everyone.
Therefore, it is good news that the company is testing a new feature that lets people hide their ‘last seen’ status from only specific contacts. The feature is already available in the beta version of the app and is expected to be rolled out soon enough.
- WhatsApp Insurance
We are yet to figure out how this will work but what is certain is that not all the features may be released to the Nigerian users. For other countries, users will soon be able to buy insurance via WhatsApp. For example, the Facebook-owned messaging platform is set to roll out health insurance and micro-pension products on its messaging platform in India through tie-ups with licensed financial services players. Initially, WhatsApp will sell SBI General sachet-health insurance cover and HDFC Pension schemes via its platform.
- Create your own sticker
This new uodate from WhatsApp include being able to create your own sticker. As reported by 91mobiles, the feature has been spotted in the beta version of the messaging platform. The WhatsApp create your own sticker will allow users to upload a picture of their choice and make it a sticker. While information about this feature is sketchy, we would expect that there should be customised tools to edit the sticker to make it funnier.
- Instagram Reels on WhatsApp
Finally, WhatsApp is set to get the Instagram Reels section going forward. The feature will reportedly allow users to watch Instagram Reels directly from the messaging app. This could be a part of WhatsApp’s integration plan with other Facebook-owned apps. For those unaware, Instagram Reels is the short video feature, which was added to the picture-sharing app recently.
