WhatsApp, features
WhatsApp gets new features for group chat and morepixabay.com
  • WhatsApp group chat feature new options giving more power to group admins
  • Also, WhatsApp users can block the request if they don't want to be in a particular group

Facebook-owned WhatsApp is one of the most extensively used messenger apps in the world. While it already proves to be a big task to maintain the popularity for long on a digital platform, WhatsApp faces competition from other big players like Telegram and its own Facebook Messenger.

In a bid to stay ahead of the rivals, WhatsApp has now brought new features to improve the user-experience in group chats.

 Here's list of new features of WhatsApp:

  • Group description: With this new feature, any user or the group admin can add a description to the chat group to describe the community's purpose and set the stage for a particular discussion on the forum. A short blurb found under group info that allows you to set the purpose, guidelines, or topics for the group. When a new person joins a group, the description will show up at the top of the chat.
WhatsApp, Group Description, feature
WhatsApp gets new Group Description featureWhatsApp India Press Kit
  • Admin controls: In group chat settings, there's now a control that allows admins to restrict who can change the group's subject, icon, and description
  • Group catch up: As the name suggests, it will help the member, who has been away from the discussion in the group chat, to catch up with the latest developments. He or she will be able to see messages that mention or reply to them by tapping on a new @ button that appears at the bottom right corner of the chat
  • Participant search: Users can pinpoint anyone in a group by searching for participants on the group info page
WhatsApp, new, feature
WhatsApp gets new feature in the May 2018 updateWhatsApp India Press Kit

Other important features include admins being able to remove admin permissions for participants. Additionally, group creators can no longer be removed from the group they started.

WhatsApp, Group Description, feature
WhatsApp gets new update, which brings search participant feature in the group chat.WhatsApp India Press Kit

Furthermore, if a user exits from a particular chat group and gets repeatedly added to the same group by the group admins, the former can permanently block the group.

The company has confirmed that the new update is being rolled out to both Android and the Apple iOS version. Since the roll-out is being carried out in phases, it will take time, probably a couple of days to reach all phones.

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