WhatsApp has been hard at work to bring much requested features to the millions that use it as their primary messaging platform. In the last couple weeks three additions have landed that, while not substantially overhauling the app, make it much more intuitive to use overall. Here are three new features for WhatsApp you need to know about:
WhatsApp reminders
Did you know you can use WhatsApp to issue you with reminders? Well you do now!
Last week Any.do – the popular reminders app with over 10 million downloads on Android alone – announced it was partnering with WhatsApp to allow users to create and receive reminders within the chatting client.
In a nutshell, once you link your Any.do account to your WhatsApp, the service can be messaged within the app. Sending texts like “remind me to pick up food on my way home” will prompt a response confirming the reminder.
When the time comes to carrying out the task in question, Any.do will send you a WhatsApp message alerting you to the fact. Handy right?
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Unfortunately, this feature isn’t free. You’ll need to have a premium account that costs $5.99 per month (Any.do charges in dollars no matter what your region).
Explaining the functionality, Any.do said: “Introducing Any.do’s WhatsApp Reminders integration. A fast and easy way to create tasks & reminders straight from your ongoing conversations!
“Easily create tasks and get reminders in WhatsApp on any supported device. Create a task by sending a direct message to Any.do or forward a message to Any.do from any of your contacts. Be reminded as soon as tasks are due, straight through WhatsApp. It’s easy, simple and effective!”
WhatsApp call waiting
If you use WhatsApp to make a ton of phone calls, you’ve probably been in the situation where you’re on the phone with someone and another contact tries to call you. Previously, WhatsApp wouldn’t alert you if someone else was trying to reach you at the same time – instead you’d have to wait until you got off the phone to see you’d missed a call.
That’s all changed. In a recent WhatsApp update for iPhone and Android call waiting has been added. That means if you’re on the phone with a contact and someone else tries to call you a notification will appear at the top of your device. This will allow you to decline the second caller or end your current call and accept the newest one.
Unfortunately, WhatsApp hasn’t yet added the ability to put one caller on hold while you finish with another. Fingers crossed that’ll arrive in a future update!
WhatsApp group chat invites
Finally. WhatsApp for Android and iPhone recently granted users the ability to choose who can and can’t immediately throw them into group chats.
It’s happened to us all. You’re flung into a group chat you have no intention of contributing to but don’t want to leave and make things awkward. So you stay and have to deal with endless notifications or alerts within the app itself (if you mute traditional notifications).
But now, tucked away in the app’s settings menu, you’ll find the option to choose who can add you to group chats. You’ll be presented with three options:
• Everyone
• My contacts
• My contacts except…
As the naming conventions suggest, choosing the “my contacts” option will prevent anyone immediately flinging you into a group chat and the “my contacts except…” toggle will let you choose individual contacts you don’t want having such power.
Anyone that’s not able to immediately add you to a group chat can send you an invite to a group chat. This can be accepted or denied free of any awkwardness.
Activating the new feature is simple. Head to WhatsApp’s settings menu then press Account > Privacy > Groups.
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