If you follow the news related to WhatsApp, you will know that the platform is in full evolution with the constant introduction of new functions. Now that 2020 is drawing to a close, it's time to take a look back and recap everything the messaging platform has added over the past 12 months.
Next, we tell you what they are the best features that have arrived on WhatsApp in 2020. If you still don't know some of them, you are in time to discover them to make the most of them.
From improved message search features to easier ways to add other users to a dedicated mobile payment service, the new WhatsApp tools are different. Let's get to know them!
These are the best features added by WhatsApp in 2020.
QR codes
It was May 2020 when we learned that WhatsApp was working on a tool that allowed to add contacts by scanning a QR code. We had a short wait to enjoy this feature, which became official a few days later.
You no longer have to give your phone number to someone else to add yourself to WhatsApp, that's enough share the QR code of your profile in in order to be added to their contact list.
To use this feature, click on the three-dot icon in the top right corner of the app and tap "Settings". To the right of your profile photo you will see the QR code icon, on which you have to click.
This will access the QR code that other users need to read to add your profile, as well as the option "Scan code", which is what will allow you to add more users to yourself. Without a doubt, it is one of the most useful features added by WhatsApp in 2020, so don't wait any longer to use it to share your profile with more people who use the app.
Here's what QR codes look like in WhatsApp to add other profiles.
Silence any conversation forever
We had asked for it a lot and it became a reality in 2020. The notifications from any chat of WhatsApp can now be silenced forever, including groups with dozens of people where messages become a never-ending nightmare.
To silence your WhatsApp chats forever, you must select a conversation by clicking on it, click on the speaker icon in the top bar and, in the window that appears, select the "Always" option.
Therefore, you can forget the chats that cause you the most problems on the messaging platform, which are usually the most active groups. If you want to ignore those conversations even more, you can also hide WhatsApp chats to send them to the archived section.
Video calls up to 8 people
WhatsApp video calls have acquired particular relevance and usefulness during the confinement experienced by the coronavirus in 2020. The limit of four participants damaged the platform compared to services like Zoom, which can allow meetings of up to 1.000 people.
Because of this, WhatsApp put in the batteries and started working on expanding that feature. Finally, in May it became official: WhatsApp video calls had a new limit of 8 participants. This way, you can create a meeting via video call and invite seven other people.
New storage management function
2020 was also the year that WhatsApp added a new storage management feature for those users who need to free up space on their mobile. While it's a tool you won't use as often as video calling, for example, it's appreciated that the service integrates it to quickly delete large or old files.
To free up space in WhatsApp with this new function, you need to enter the app settings, click on "Archiving and data" and then "Manage storage space".
In this section you can see how much storage space on your mobile is occupied by WhatsApp multimedia files and find out what are the biggest elements and which ones have been forwarded the most, as well as which conversations are taking up the most space.
This way you will have all the information about the files stored in WhatsApp and you can use it for delete those items you don't need to free up space on your phone.
The new tool to free up WhatsApp space.
Advanced search for messages
Don't you often want to find an old message on WhatsApp and you can't? The managers of the platform know that this is a common problem among its users, which is why they wanted it improve message search in 2020.
On the one hand, WhatsApp has integrated an advanced search function via the magnifying glass icon that appears in the upper right part of the app. From there you can search for specific terms and select what kind of message is it (photos, videos, links, GIFs, audio or documents).
After doing the search, WhatsApp will show you all the related results divided by the categories mentioned above.
Animated stickers
One of the differences that separated WhatsApp and Telegram before 2020 was the presence of animated stickers on the latter messaging platform. This inequality ended in June 2020, when WhatsApp has launched its first animated sticker pack.
This way, you can now use both static and animated stickers to give a point of fun and movement to your conversations. If you haven't used these stickers on WhatsApp yet, you can easily download them from the card of adhesives application.
Dark mode in the app and on the web
Without a doubt, one of the best news of WhatsApp in 2020 was the dark mode, which reached both the mobile application and WhatsApp Web. night and the interface will have dark tones with which you will be able to converse more comfortably.
To activate WhatsApp dark mode on Android, open the app and access its settings. Then, click "Chat" and "Topic" and select the "Dark" option. Automatically, the application will adopt a dark blue shade with which you will be able to read conversations better.
To activate dark mode in WhatsApp Web, click on the icon with the three dots at the top left and, in the options menu that appears, tap on "Settings". Then, click on the section «Theme» and check the «Dark» box in so that the interface has more muted tones.
Messages that self-destruct
Privacy is the key to self-destructing messages, one of the most innovative features introduced by the platform right now.
It is a tool that the user can activate so that all messages sent from that moment on in a specific conversation are automatically deleted after 7 days. In the case of groups, the administrators will activate this function so that the messages shared in it are temporary.
Regarding this functionality, there are some important exceptions that we should mention, such as the fact that messages they will not be deleted if they have been cited or forwarded to another chat.
Payments on WhatsApp
Payments in WhatsApp chats for Android.
We conclude with one of the most surprising news of WhatsApp in 2020: its payment service. After many rumors and tests, the platform has officially integrated a tool for send and receive money through the app.
Although the WhatsApp payment service varies slightly in each country, there are a number of details in common: the user who wants to use it will have need a bank account and a credit or debit card associated with your name. In addition, a personal UPI system PIN will be required to make a transaction.
For now, the WhatsApp payment service is available in countries like Brazil and India, although that is expected become a global option in the coming months. Before they arrive in your country, check the things to keep in mind about payments on WhatsApp to avoid possible scams.
And so far the best features introduced by WhatsApp in 2020. As you have seen, are various tools focused on offering a better user experience. We expect the messaging service will continue to grow in 2021 with new features that it is worth continuing to use the platform.
