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'View once', multiple device connection, and more: Here are WhatsApp's new features

WION Web Team
New Delhi, Delhi, IndiaUpdated: Jun 03, 2021, 05:30 PM IST
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WhatsApp, in its announcement, cited the example of Iran where internet services have often been disconnected by the regime Photograph:(Reuters)

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In new feature, several devices will be able to connect to one's WhatsApp, even if there is no active internet connection on the main device

In order to stay up-to-date and in demand, WhatsApp is releasing new features. Just like Snapchat, WhatsApp is also coming up with a 'view once' feature. Very soon, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg confirmed.

In this mode, once a user sends photos and videos, the receiver will be able to open the multimedia only once, and upon opening the media, it will disappear from the chat. However, unlike Snapchat, users can take screenshots of the media in WhatsApp, without the sender being notified about it.

This is not the only feature that Zuckerberg is introducing in the messaging app. An update of WhatsApp will bring in 'multi device support'. This feature has been in testing for the past few months, and a public beta version for the same will be rolled out soon.

In this feature, several devices will be able to connect to one's WhatsApp, even if there is no active internet connection on the main device. However, only four devices will be able to connect to the same account at a time.

"It's been a big technical challenge to get all your messages and content to sync properly across devices even when your phone battery dies, but we’ve solved this and we're looking forward to getting it out soon," Zuckerberg said while explaining the aim behind the feature.

Another update will be an advanced version of ‘disappearing messages’ that was released last year. Through 'disappearing messages', uses could have their messages disappear/erased after a specified amount of time. The new feature will be 'disappearing mode'  making all messages disappear from WhatsApp after seven days.