WhatsApp’s rolling out nifty new features

Creators of WhatsApp, the hugely popular global multimedia messaging application, have announced a range of new features they plan to roll out to users in the coming weeks.

Right at the top of their menu of upgrades, is a way to check the validity of messages that have been forwarded a number of times.

These messages will appear with a magnifying glass icon next to them, and tapping this icon will open the user’s browser and execute a search, WhatsApp said.

According to a statement issued yesterday by the group, the new message-checking feature – which will first be rolled out in phases with Brazil, Italy, Ireland, Mexico, Spain, UK, and the US – will help users find news results or other sources of information about the content they receive.

WhatsApp says this is their way of clamping down on fake news being circulated on its platform.

Additional features to expect from the messaging app giant also include:

• Animated Stickers: Stickers are one of the fastest-growing ways people communicate on WhatsApp, with billions sent every day. New animated sticker packs that are even more fun and expressive will be rolled out.
• QR codes: When meeting new contacts, users will be able to scan their QR code to add them to their contacts list. No more tapping in digits one at a time.
• Dark mode for WhatsApp web and desktop: The incredibly popular Dark Mode theme now extends to computers.
• Improvements to group video calls: There will now be up to 8 people on a video call, and allowing users to maximise a participant’s video to full screen. Users will also be able to 1-tap to start group chats in groups fewer than 8.
• Status comes to KaiOS: KaiOS users can now share updates that disappear after 24 hours.

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