All the new WhatsApp features you should know about
If you thought WhatsApp didn't have enough features to match up with its rivals, it is time to think again. The messaging app, which hosts more than a billion users worldwide, has introduced several new features over the last few months. Yes, some of them are still in beta, but we're pretty sure they all offer some useful (and fun) capabilities. Here's the complete list.
Sticker support for Android and iOS
Sticker support is finally available for everyone using WhatsApp, be it on Android or iOS. The feature, accessed from the smiley icon sitting next to the textbox, lets you send and receive stickers, just like other messaging apps. You can download pre-existing stickers from WhatsApp's sticker store or can even download new packs from the Google Play Store.
Private replies for group chats
WhatsApp's reply function has been there for years, but with the latest beta of the service (v2.18.355), you can even send private replies to group messages. All you have to do is select a message and tap on the 'Reply Privately' button accessed from the three-dotted button in the upper-right corner. This will quote that message in a private chat window with its sender.
Vacation and Silent Mode
With these two features, WhatsApp is giving options to determine how muted chats are handled on receiving a new message. The Vacation Mode, for instance, has been designed to keep muted archived chats in archive even when a new message is received. It is still not available, but the Silent Mode, which hides notification dots for muted chats, is being rolled out for Android.
Picture-in-Picture for video
Back in October, WhatsApp for Android beta (v2.18.301) enabled support for picture-in-picture or PiP. The feature, as the name suggests, lets users watch YouTube, Facebook, or Instagram videos by staying in WhatsApp itself. It doesn't direct to another app for playing content and makes WhatsApp even more seamless. Notably, iOS users have already been using this feature since January.
Swipe for quick reply
In another reply-related feature, WhatsApp has brought swipe-based gesture. Now, any iOS or Android user can quickly respond to a particular message by right swiping on it. This will quote the message in the text-box, just like how it happened when users had to long-press a message for sending replies. The feature came to WhatsApp for Android (beta v2.18.300) months after appearing on iOS.
