WhatsApp has introduced three new features which should warm the cockles of its chilly users this winter.
The Facebook-owned app is the most popular messaging service in the world and treats its users to a steady stream of updates.
But there are a trio of new functions which are likely to prove very popular.
The first is a clever ‘reminders’ feature which lets you ask it to give you a little prod at important moments.
To start using this new superpower, you’ll have to sign up with a company called Any.do and pay a river a month.
You’ll then be able to set a reminder by sending a DM to Any.do.
It wrote: ‘So many conversations, so little time to follow up. WhatsApp is one of the most popular tools to stay in touch with your friends, colleagues and family on the daily. Often times, these conversations include items which require further attention. However, with no designated place to collect all action items from your conversations, it can be hard to keep track!
‘Introducing Any.do’s WhatsApp Reminders Premium integration (available for Premium users only). 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.’
And that’s not all.
WhatsApp has also introduced a ‘call waiting’ feature which allows you to put people on hold whilst you answer another call.
It also introduced a new privacy upgrade which will stop you being pulled into group chats you don’t want to be a part of and control who can send you invitations.
This might sound like a frivolous feature, but in fact it’s a great privacy tool because people in groups can see each other’s phone numbers.
If you can take control of who adds you into these chats, then you have an extra tool to protect your identity and make sure strange or scammy people don’t contact you as well as protecting yourself from bullies.
When you’ve updated the app, just open up settings and scroll to ‘account’, followed by ‘privacy’ and then ‘groups’.
You will be able to choose who’s allowed to add you to groups, with three options available.
Select ‘everyone’ and you’re wide open whilst choosing ‘my contacts’ means only friends will be able to add you.
The early version of the update allowed you to also choose ‘nobody’, which locked your account down entirely.
This has now been replaced by ‘My Contacts Except’, which will let you allow only certain contacts to add you to a group.
People you’ve blocked will still be able to send a group invitation in a private message – but this is very easy to ignore.
In a statement, Whatsapp wrote: ‘WhatsApp groups continue to connect family, friends, coworkers, classmates, and more. As people turn to groups for important conversations, users have asked for more control over their experience.
‘Today, we’re introducing a new privacy setting and invite system to help you decide who can add you to groups.
‘With these new features, users will have more control over the group messages they receive.
‘These new privacy settings will begin rolling out to some users starting today and will be available worldwide in the coming days to those using the latest version of WhatsApp.’
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