WhatsApp to improve the user experience in groups
WhatsApp recently submitted new updates through the Google Play Beta Program for Android and on the AppStore for the iOS platform: analyzing them, we have discovered something very important about groups, that will be available for all platforms in future..
ADMINISTRATORS ARE FINALLY
MORE IMPORTANT
As already mentioned in a precedent post about the Android platform, their next step will be to improve groups.
We have already announced in the article that something important would be happened, but we’re never going to think that WhatsApp cares so much to improve them.
Let’s go a complete summary about things you learnt thanks to our recent articles and posts on our website and on Twitter, before introducing to you the good news.
SUMMARY OLD NEWS
· WhatsApp will prevent the group creator to be deleted from the group by other administrators.
This will help the group creator to have the full control of the group.
· The administrators will be able to choose if other participants can modify the subject of the group, its icon and its description, as shown below in this Android screenshot:
· Participants can use a new Search feature to quickly search other participants.
· Administrators will be able to remove more participants at once thanks to the Search feature in Group Info later.
Furthermore, today we are finally ready to release other information, both on iOS and Android!
GROUP INFO SETTING CHANGED NOTIFICATION
When an administrator decides that participants cannot change the subject of the group, its icon and its description, a notification will appear in the group:
As well as on iOS:
IMPORTANT NEWS: RESTRICTED GROUPS
Administrators will be able to disable the chat features in the group: that means all participants won’t be able to send in the group text messages, images, videos, GIFs, documents, voice messages or starting a new live location session.. They will be able to do nothing in the group, and a notification in the chat will appear:
When administrators will disable the chat features, only they can interact each other in the group: this may happen when an administrator wants to get the attention of all participants, writing something important or to organize an event.
When a group is restricted and only administrators can interact into it, a normal participant can only read incoming messages and he cannot send messages.
If a no-admin participant needs to write something in a restricted group, he has to contact an administrator, and he can use the Message admin button, as shown below in this iOS screenshot:
The setting can only be changed once every 72 hours (unfortunately it’s so, hoping WhatsApp will change the limit).
The evolution of groups is the next great priority of WhatsApp, and they will continue to internally work to evolve groups, also if we personally think they need other features too (reading all users feedback), like:
1. Poll feature in groups.
2. When someone adds us in a group, we should be able to accept or reject the invite.
3. The possibility for the group creator to demote an administrator.
4. A new mute option “Mute until the group is no longer restricted”. At present, the Mute option is not very useful as new shortcut (also because if an administrator restricts the group, he does this to write something important, so there shouldn’t be reason to mute it), but that option may convince the user to use it when the group is restricted, if he wants.
Stay tuned to discover other features about groups!
NOTE:
All these features for groups are disabled by default, so it’s normal if you don’t see them updating the app. You have to wait that WhatsApp will release all this in future.
WHEN ALL THIS?
We cannot know when WhatsApp enables a feature, but we can tell you that it will be necessary an update available after this date: 6 May 2018.
It means these features won’t be remotely enabled before that date!
Other posts you would like to read:
• WhatsApp is rolling out the Delete for Everyone (Recall) feature for all users!.
• WhatsApp is testing more options for image compression.
• WhatsApp to start to open beta program for WhatsApp Business in some countries!.
• WhatsApp is internally working to implement group voice calls!.
