By Pascal Oparada
Following the resignation of Whatsapp CEO, Jan Koum, Facebook installed its Vice President of Internet.org as the new head of the premium messaging app.
Today, WhatsApp launched a slew of new features for Groups on iOS and Android that let admins set a description for their community and decide who can change the Groups settings, TechCrunch reports.
Meanwhile, users will be able to get a Group catch up that shows messages they were mentioned in, and search for people in the group.
Analysts believe that group improvements will help WhatsApp compete with Telegram, which has recently emerged as a popular platform for chat groups, especially around cryptocurrencies.
Telegram has surplus admin controls of its own, but the two apps would be competing over who can make it easiest to digest these fast-moving chat forums.
“These features are based on user requests. We develop the product based on what our users want and need” a WhatsApp spokesperson said when asked why it’s making this update.
“There are also people coming together in groups on WhatsApp like new parents looking for support, students organizing study sessions, and even city leaders coordinating relief efforts after natural disasters.”
Facebook is on a quest to get 1 billion users into ‘meaningful’ Groups and recently said it now has hit the 200 million user milestone. Groups could help people strengthen their ties with their city or niche interests, which can make them feel less alone.
How it works
With Group descriptions, admins can explain the purpose and rules of a group. They show up when people check out the group and appear on top of the chat window when they join.
New admin controls let them control who is allowed to alter a group’s subject, icon, and description. WhatsApp is also making it hard to re-add someone to a group they left so you can’t ‘Group-add-spam people’. Together, these could make sure people find relevant groups, naturally acclimatise to their culture, and don’t troll others.
New features
As for users, the new Group catch up feature offers a new @ button in the bottom right of the chat window that when tapped, surfaces all your replies and mentions since you last checked. And if you want to find someone specific in the Group, the new participant search on the Info page could let you turn a group chats into a private conversation with someone you meet.
Since WhatsApp has an impressive 1.5 billion users compared to 200 million on Telegram, its next phase of growth may come from deepening engagement instead of just of adding more accounts, analysts say.
Many people already do most of their one-on-one chatting with friends on WhatsApp, but Groups could invite tons of time spent as users participate in communities of strangers around their interests.