WhatsApp Adds 12 New Features To Improve Chats, Calls, Status And More

Forbes - Apr 12th, 2025

WhatsApp is introducing a dozen new features designed to enhance user experience in messaging and calling. Key updates include improved group notifications, event creation in 1:1 chats, and video call enhancements like pinch-to-zoom for iPhone users. Additionally, Channels receive new functionalities such as video notes, voice message transcripts, and QR codes for community growth. These features aim to make conversations more enjoyable and accessible, with a focus on improving communication within groups and individual chats.

The rollout of these features signifies WhatsApp's commitment to maintaining its competitive edge in the messaging app market by continuously improving user experience and adding functionality for content creators. The introduction of features like document scanning and setting WhatsApp as a default messaging app on iPhone demonstrates a push for deeper integration with users' daily communication habits. These enhancements reflect WhatsApp's strategy to adapt to user needs and technological advancements, ensuring the platform remains relevant and engaging for its global user base.

Whats App I Phone Messaging App Features Channels Video Calls Group Notifications

Story submitted by Fairstory

RATING

6.8

Fair Story

Consider it well-founded

The article effectively highlights the new features introduced by WhatsApp, offering readers a comprehensive overview of the updates. Its strengths lie in its clarity, timeliness, and relevance to public interest, as it addresses changes to a widely used communication platform. However, the story could benefit from improved transparency and source quality, as it lacks citations and context about the information's origins. Additionally, the article presents a single perspective, focusing on the positive aspects of the updates without exploring potential criticisms or broader implications. By incorporating diverse viewpoints and addressing potential controversies, the article could enhance its engagement and impact on readers.

Accuracy

The story accurately lists the new features that WhatsApp is rolling out, such as online status in group chats, highlight notifications, and improved video call quality. Each feature mentioned in the article aligns with the factual claims verified in the sources. However, the article could be more precise about the rollout timeline and availability across different platforms, which are areas that need further verification. While the story provides a comprehensive list of new features, it does not specify which features are exclusive to certain operating systems, such as iOS, which could affect its precision.

Balance

The article presents a single perspective focused on the positive aspects of WhatsApp's new features, potentially leading to a bias towards the company's narrative. It lacks a critical examination of the implications or potential downsides of these updates. For instance, the article could have explored how these changes might impact user privacy or data usage. By not including alternative viewpoints or potential criticisms, the article leans towards a promotional tone.

Clarity

The article is well-structured and clearly presents the new WhatsApp features in a concise manner. The language is straightforward, making it easy for readers to understand the updates and their potential benefits. However, the article could improve clarity by providing more context about the rollout process and how these features compare to existing functionalities. Overall, the story is accessible and informative, but additional context would enhance reader comprehension.

Source quality

The article does not cite any sources or provide direct links to official WhatsApp announcements or third-party analyses. This lack of attribution makes it difficult to assess the reliability and credibility of the information presented. While the content aligns with known updates from WhatsApp, the absence of explicit sources weakens the story's authority and trustworthiness. Including references to official statements or expert opinions would enhance the source quality.

Transparency

The article lacks transparency in terms of its sources and the methodology used to gather the information. It does not disclose whether the information comes from official WhatsApp announcements, insider reports, or user experiences. This omission makes it challenging to evaluate the basis of the claims and the potential influence of conflicts of interest. Greater transparency about the article's information sources and any potential biases would improve its credibility.