WhatsApp s latest update brings Focus mode support to iPhones and iPads
January 26, 2022 09:45 AM
Although WhatsApp typically rolls out updates simultaneously on both Android and iOS platforms, the latest update is one of the exceptions since it brings specific features aimed at iPhone and iPad users. Two important new features are now making their way to iOS users and are expected to be generally available over the coming weeks.
The first one is the ability to pause and resume while recording voice messages. Surprisingly, such a nifty feature wasn’t available until the latest update, so if you’re downloading WhatsApp v22.2.75, you can try it out by swiping up to lock a recording, and then tap the “pause” and “resume” buttons.
Another important new feature rolling out to iOS users is support for Focus mode. This has been added in iOS 15 and allows selected users to message you when you have set a Focus mode. When this mode is enabled, you can set notification, call, and message filters, as well as auto-reply to others when you’re not available. Think of it as a more efficient Do Not Disturb feature.
In other news, WhatsApp is gearing up for yet another important new feature for its users: the ability to transfer Android chats to iOS. However, the feature is still being tested internally, so it might take a while until WhatsApp will be ready to make it available to everyone.
How to create a WhatsApp group chat
WhatsApp group chats are a good way to have conversations with multiple people at once, and they can be created on both Android and iOS. Although WhatsApp is one of the most popular instant messaging apps on both operating systems, it is particularly popular on Android due to iMessage still not available on the platform. In fact, it is almost the default messaging option for millions of Android users around the world.
Like most other instant messaging apps, WhatsApp also offers the ability for more than two people to chat as a group. Group chats are useful for multiple people to communicate and share their thoughts. They can also be helpful in promoting teamwork as well. While one-on-one chats are easy, group chats require users to first create a group and then invite new members, which adds a little more work.
There are two ways to create a new group in WhatsApp for Android. The first option involves opening the app and tapping on the three-dot menu button in the top-right corner. From the pop-up menu, select 'New Group' and on the next page, add members to that group by tapping on their names. Once done, simply hit the green arrow in the bottom-right corner. On the next page, name the group and tap on the green button with the check (tick) mark to create the group with the selected members. A new group can also be created by tapping on the green speech bubble icon in the bottom-right corner and hitting the 'New Group' option on the next page. Then simply go about adding members to that group as usual.
Creating WhatsApp groups on IOS
The process is similar on iOS, but users first need to navigate to the 'Chats' tab in the WhatsApp app before tapping on "New Chat" and then on 'New Group.' On the next screen, the user can then select the members of the new group by tapping on their names and hitting 'Next.' All that's left to do is give the group a name/subject and hit the 'Create' button in the top-right corner. This process is applicable to both iPhone and iPad, and all members in a group have the same rights as they do on Android.
Once a group is created, all members in that group can post messages and replies and these will be visible to everyone else in the group. By default, only the creator is the group admin, but they can add other members as admins if they want. Admins can add and remove other members from the WhatsApp group, while regular members only have ability to change the group's subject, icon, description, and disappearing messages settings.
–phonearena.com/screenrant.com