After months of testing the features in the beta version, WhatsApp is finally rolling out some of the key features like reactions on messages, enabling larger file sharing limits and raising the limit for the number of members in a group.
Message reactions are one of the more exciting features that are expected to arrive in the coming weeks to the app. after the recent cashback offer announcement from the company last week. Similar to the emoji reactions that we see on Instagram and Facebook Messenger, the new feature will allow you to react to messages in groups or personal chats and also see other reactions from members.
There have also been reports that reaction options from Instagram’s Stories and Reels will also find their way to WhatsApp Stories in a future update. Recently, WhatsApp also launched cashback offers to compete with Google Pay and PhonePe for instant mobile payments.
The most awaited feature however is the increased file sharing limit of up to 2GB per file from the insufficient 100MB limit. Many users have opted for using Telegram for the very reason that the app allowed file sharing in groups and personal chat in the past. Now that WhatsApp has got the functionality, it's expected to give Telegram users another reason to be more active on the app.
In 2011 we introduced Group Chats, and we haven't stopped improving since. In the coming weeks, we'll roll out the ability to share files up to 2GB and add more people to your groups so you can continue creating and nurturing meaningful, private connections. https://t.co/mcJpQVIVTUMay 5, 2022
Groups of 512 members
Meta Platforms app has also increased its limit for the number of members in a group from 256 to 512 which has been confirmed by WABetaInfo. This may be in line with the Communities feature that was unveiled last month which allows creating a single group for members from other groups as well based on their interests.
The latest features are being rolled out in a phased manner and are not available immediately for everyone. So you would need to keep an eye on the updates in the coming weeks.
Will we see a WhatsApp Premium as well?
It’s great to see that WhatsApp is turning a new leaf with the addition of many of these features that users have been asking for years. But, it does beg the question if the company will opt in to provide more premium features too down the line to sustain its business model. There has been no addition of ads to the app yet, and there is no clear picture yet if it would make its way too to the app.
While Telegram acquires its funding through premium content as well, the company has restricted these to public channels and has not tampered with the free features for its users. We could see a similar strategy through the Communities groups where sponsored content or ads could popup in between messages.
