WhatsApp is on roll. The Facebook-owned chat app, on Tuesday, announced new group chat features for both Android and iPhone users on the latest stable version of the app.
According to Mashable, the new features include a mentions feature, as well as participant search.
“Groups have been an important part of the WhatsApp experience, whether it’s family members connecting across the globe or childhood friends staying in touch over the years. There are also people coming together in groups on WhatsApp like new parents looking for support, students organizing study sessions, and even city leaders coordinating relief efforts after natural disasters. Today, we’re sharing improvements that we’ve made to groups,” the company said in a press statement.
Most of these nee Group updates have already been spotted on the beta version of the app but the features have now moved out of the beta build and are now available to all in the stable build of WhatsApp. So what are these new features for Group chat? Take a look:
1. Group description- The feature is already live for some users but now the company will roll out to all. With this feature, you can get set the purpose, guidelines, or topics for any group chat. When a new person joins a group, the description will show up at the top of the chat. Group description is a short blurb that is visible to participants if that group and people invited to that group.
2. Admin controls- This feature gives new powers to a group admin. It allows the admin to restrict who can change the group’s subject, icon, and description. The feature is given under Group settings.
3. Group catch up- Now you can keep a tab of all the messages that mention you or are a reply to you by tapping on a new @ button that appears at the bottom right corner of the chat.
4. Participant search: As the name suggests, you can now anyone in a group by searching for participants on the group info page.
5. Admins can now remove admin permissions of other group participants, and group creators can no longer be removed from the group they started.
6. WhatsApp has also introduced protection so that users cannot be repeatedly added to the group they left. Best way to stay from unwanted chattering groups.
At the recent F8 conference, WhatsApp parent company Facebook had announced, a group video calling feature with up to four people.
The feature is expected to roll out soon, though no exact confirmation date has been given.
