by Tech Talk | Jan 25, 2023 | Articles
Whatsapp is working on letting users bypass image compression to send original-quality photos on the platform, WABetaInfo reports.
The feature is included but not active in WhatsApp Beta for Android 2.23.2.11.
Currently, WhatsApp’s settings let users select “automatic”, “best quality”, and “data saver” when it comes to image quality sent on the platform.
However, even the “best quality” setting compresses photos to some extent to provide faster data transfers that take up less storage space.
WhatsApp plans to add a photo quality configuration option to the image editing screen — the interface displayed once an image has been selected to send.
According to WABetaInfo, the new image configuration feature will allow users to select the original quality for the photos they send.
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by Tech Talk | Oct 26, 2022 | Articles
WhatsApp experienced a global outage yesterday, with users turning to Twitter and other social media platforms to complain that they were unable to connect.
Website Downdetector.co.za reported a huge spike in WhatsApp outages reported from around 9am South African time. Services were eventually restored at about 10.45am.
Neither WhatsApp, nor its parent Meta Platforms, has said what caused the outage.
Users in South Africa and around the world have come to rely heavily on WhatsApp to communicate, conduct business and organise their lives. Even a short outage can cause big disruption.
“We’re aware that some people are currently having trouble sending messages and we’re working to restore WhatsApp for everyone as quickly as possible,” a WhatsApp spokesman was quoted as telling Reuters soon after the outage started. — NewsCentral Media
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by Tech Talk | Oct 24, 2022 | Articles
WhatsApp is developing a new auto-mute feature for large groups and has added the ability to create and use avatars in the beta version of its Android app.
WABetaInfo previewed the automatic muting feature for large groups in a report on Friday.
A screenshot showing the feature reveals that WhatsApp will automatically mute groups with more than 256 participants and present a prompt within the group to notify them of the action.
Users will then be able to choose whether to unmute the group or accept the setting as is.
The screenshot below from WABetaInfo shows what the prompt looks like in the preview.
The feature is likely the result of WhatsApp realising the sheer number of notifications from larger groups could become a big annoyance for some users.
Earlier this year, it increased the maximum number of members that can be added to a group from 256 to 512.
Around two weeks ago, the platform again doubled that number on the beta versions of its Android and iOS app to 1,024.
The large group sizes will allow WhatsApp to better contend with rival platforms like Telegram regarding community or event chats.
In addition to the new group chat capabilities, WhatsApp has rolled out an avatar feature to certain users of its Android app.
These users will see the feature available under their WhatsApp settings page.
Once created, they can send stickers to their contacts featuring their avatar with various emotions or performing certain actions, similar to Snapchat. Users can also set the avatar as a profile picture.
The screenshot below shows what the avatar creation process and stickers look like in the beta.
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by Tech Talk | Oct 5, 2022 | Articles
WhatsApp is rolling out screenshot and screen recording blocking for view-once images and videos, WABetaInfo reports.
The new feature is available to WhatsApp testers on the latest Android beta version of the app, with some users reporting they can’t screenshot view once images.
Instead, they receive a message saying, “Can’t take screenshot due to security policy”.
Some third-party screenshot applications could bypass WhatsApp’s security policy, but the Meta Platforms-owned messaging service has those covered too.
Attempting to screenshot view-once images with third-party apps will return a black image.
WABetaInfo noted that although the sender of a view-once image isn’t notified when someone attempts to screenshot it, they can be confident that it will be blocked.
It reported that screen recording for view-once videos and pictures is also blocked by default.
However, the screenshot blocking feature is limited to images and videos, meaning users can still capture conversations with disappearing messages.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg first announced the screenshot blocking feature in August 2022.
“We’ll keep building new ways to protect your messages and keep them as private and secure as face-to-face conversations,” Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post.
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by Tech Talk | Sep 28, 2022 | Articles
Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced that WhatsApp is introducing a new feature that lets users share a direct link to call.
He specified that the call linking feature would arrive on WhatsApp this week and said the messaging platform is testing encrypted video calling for up to 32 participants.
“We’re rolling out call links on WhatsApp starting this week so you can share a link to start a call with a single tap,” Zuckerberg said.
“We’re also testing secure encrypted video calling for up to 32 people. More coming soon.”
According to The Verge, the call links feature is accessible through a banner at the top of the Calls tab, and it will support both voice and video calls.
WhatsApp first teased video calls with up to 32 participants when it announced its Communities feature in April 2022. The messaging app currently limits calls to eight users.
With the changes, WhatsApp could be taking on the likes of Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom.
While the conferencing apps offer greater call capacities — up to 100 participants for Google Meet and Microsoft teams and 300 for Zoom — they include certain restrictions like limited call durations for free accounts.
WhatsApp has not mentioned such restrictions, which could result in smaller teams favouring it over the conferencing platforms.
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