With the grapes almost in hand to wait for the twelve bells that will kick off 2022, it’s time to take stock everything the leading mobile messaging app has given us. And it is that this year there have been some novelties that WhatsApp has brought us. Some of them, longed for a long time.
And also, moreover, we want to take out the crystal ball and start imagining the improvements that could arrive in 2023. We suspect some of them because they are already in beta, while others are pure wishes that many of us have that we hope can come true.
The best thing WhatsApp left us in 2022
It’s not that WhatsApp has undergone a revolution this year, but some have been added Important News They have undoubtedly improved the day-to-day user experience and added greater value to the app, especially compared to competitors such as Telegram, which have also gone from strength to strength this year with a premium subscription. Here are the highlights of the Meta app:
- Arrival of a WhatsApp application for Windows and in conditions, leaving behind the previous version based on the web and with features shared with the mobile application.
- The WhatsApp application on Mac was also a reality this year, sharing almost all the functions of the Windows application and whether used with an iPhone or an Android mobile.
- Hide if we are online in WhatsApp is one of those requests that has been on the table of the developer team for years and finally this year has seen the light of day and gives us greater privacy. Although if we want, we can continue to show it.
- Choosing which contacts can see the photo and the last connection is another of the privacy innovations released in 2022 and which already allows us to be more open with different people and restricted with others.
- Texting each other is finally a reality without resorting to weird tricks. In fact, it’s one of the most recent novelties.
- New limit for sending files up to 2GB, overcoming one of WhatsApp’s main pitfalls and its already forgotten 100MB limit.
- WhatsApp communities have also been a reality for a few months. They allow greater order than traditional groups, which have not disappeared, and provide administrators with additional functions.
- WhatsApp Message Reactions, like in many messaging apps, is the new way we need to quickly respond to a message when we don’t have time. Although we hope that doesn’t cause as much controversy as responding with a simple “Ok”.
- WhatsApp polls are another interesting new feature that now facilitates decision-making in groups and communities. That or to know the opinion of the group on a precise question.
- Transferring WhatsApp chats from Android to iOS and vice versa has never been easier than now. To transfer them to an iPhone, they may already be included in the application switch to iOS with the rest of the data. Conversely, a process was provided to transfer chats to the wire.
- New emojis for 2022 which, like every year, are a breath of fresh air. It is true that most of them are quickly forgotten, but the first few days they are on everyone’s lips. This year melting emoji, pregnant men or even the new range of skin tones for the handshake were given pride of place.
And since WhatsApp has not only been fed with beautiful functions in 2022, we can also review these other little news which also resulted in relevant changes in the app.
- The states are even in the soup and it is that WhatsApp is no longer only responsible for displaying them in the corresponding tab of your application, but we can also quickly access them by clicking on the user’s photo from the panel of discussing. In true Instagram style.
- WhatsApp groups up to 512 participants leaving behind the limit of 256 people. Of course, it looks like the business won’t stop and they’re already planning to go live with 1,024 participants (spoiler for possible 2023 news).
- Creating an avatar in WhatsApp is now a reality just like in other Meta apps like Instagram and Facebook. You can customize your hair color, skin color, features, accessories such as glasses, earrings or clothes and then use them as a sticker in chats.
- Up to 60 hours to delete a sent message, which translates to two and a half days, which is a huge increase from the 4,096 second margin the app previously offered.
- We have time to regret deleting a message, but not two and a half days to delete it, but 7 seconds. Ideal if we deleted a message by mistake or finally decided it was a good idea to send it.
Everything we can expect from WhatsApp in 2023
Hopefully in 2023 we will see another round of big WhatsApp news. In fact, it is not (yet) necessary to take out the crystal ball, since there is already some functions found in the application code or in the beta which make us indicate that they could see the light in the months to come. Here are a few:
- Using WhatsApp on two mobiles at the same time is one of those functions that we do not understand is not already there as 2023 is about to begin. Neither in 2022, nor in 2021, nor in 2020… The fact is that clues have already appeared that suggest that they are working on it. In fact, we have already tried it.
- Editing messages already sent is the other big pillar that should have accompanied the possibility of deleting them in its time. It’s still not possible and it’s not even in beta, but from WABetaInfo they have already found clues that show that it won’t take long to come true.
- WhatsApp for tablets without depending on the web version or applications that use this service is now a reality, but with a trick. And it is that this feature is currently in beta and has not been officially launched for all users.
- The ephemeral WhatsApp messages are about to become a reality, which will allow us to send messages that can only be read once without resorting to other tricks.
- Facilitating the search for messages by filtering by date is another of the functions that are now in beta and which is not expected to take long to officially reach the application.
Many other functions will be added to this list which are not yet referenced anywhere and which, as such, are difficult to predict. However, it is time here to release our wish list which will surely be shared by many WhatsApp users and that, if they end up arriving, they will be very well received:
- WhatsApp and connected watch and with full functions with its own application and not with quick replies and nothing else, which is the little that can currently be done with WhatsApp on a smartwatch.
- Less (or no) smartphone dependence to use the app on any other device.
- More universal backups which continue to make it even easier to switch between mobiles without losing chats.
- usernames that they continue to add privacy sections to the app and that despite requiring a phone number for registration, it does not require us to offer our number to anyone we want to speak with on Whatsapp.
- Vitamin video calls which in addition to offering effects and the occasional “dirty” functionality allow us to perform more useful actions such as screen sharing.
- Greater interface customization and this, even without losing the essence, allows new colors and other elements that further personalize the experience without having to resort to applications like WhatsApp Plus and other MODs with all the risks that entails.
A) Yes, We will continue to pay attention to all WhatsApp news in 2023. We have a hunch that many of the ones we’ve reviewed could become reality very soon and for sure this impending January will also serve to keep finding new features in the betas.
