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WhatsApp: Five lesser known features

With over 1.5 billion monthly active users, WhatsApp actively keeps on incorporating features to deliver a better user experience.

WhatsApp has added an array of features in 2018 already, from group video calling to mute feature. With over 1.5 billion monthly active users, WhatsApp actively keeps on incorporating features to deliver a better user experience. Of late, WhatsApp in a bid to combat spam, spoofing and phishing on its platform had started testing the Suspicious Link Indicator feature. The company also added a feature called Forwarded label to tackle the issue. Here are some new features that WhatsApp is working on or is available for beta testers.

-In an effort to help users understand the source of messages on WhatsApp, the company introduced ‘Forwarded’ tag — if a message isn’t written by the sender, it will have the ‘forwarded’ label at the top of the message box. This feature is available for both Android and iOS users. Additionally, if a user copies and pastes message or attach media directly from the device’s gallery, the tag will not be visible.

-The messaging platform will soon add two new shortcuts in the notification panel, allowing users to mute chat or mark message as read without needing to open the app. In simpler terms, when a user receives some messages from the same chat, again and again, they can then immediately mark that message as 'read' from the notification panel itself, without even opening the chat window. Currently, the notification panel only displays the 'Reply' option. Coming to the mute feature, one will be able to mute a chat directly from the notifications panel, without even opening the app. The ‘Mute’ feature is reportedly available in WhatsApp Android beta version 2.18.216, whereas the ‘Mark as Read’ feature for Android beta version 2.18.214 is currently disabled and is under development stage.

-WhatsApp Media Visibility feature allows the user to control the visibility of media for individual contacts or specific groups. This feature exists in the 'Group Info' section for group chats and in 'View Contact' section for individual contacts. After entering in this window, one will witness Media Visibility option which will ask you — if you want to show the newly downloaded media from a specific chat in your phone's gallery. This a great feature by WhatsApp as it will prevent your gallery from being flooded with photographs which you don't want to store. The Media Visibility feature has been added to 2.18.194 beta Android version.

-WhatsApp ‘Suspicious Links Detection’ is the platforms latest attempt aimed at curbing the spread of fake news by showing a red label on suspicious messages. According to a WABetaInfo report, one needs to update WhatsApp beta for an Android version to the 2.18.221 update in order to remotely receive the activation of the Suspicious Link Detection feature. Additionally, it will automatically identify the link received by the user - is redirecting to a fake or alternative website.

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( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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