WhatsApp on Windows app won't need your phone to work

WhatsApp has just released a native app on Windows that no longer needs you to link your phone for it to work. The refreshed app just exited beta and is now available on the Microsoft Store. You no longer need the web-based desktop app or the one on the browser. This native version should run faster and be more responsive.

It also features a slightly cleaner interface than the previous app version but doesn't look drastically different. The most significant change is you no longer need to keep your phone online or close by to sync messages between your phone and the desktop app. According to the Meta-owned messaging service, it is also working on a native app for macOS.

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WhatsApp plans to let iOS users hide their online status

Source: WABetaInfo

If you don't want people to find out if you're online, WhatsApp on iOS plans to help you. The Meta-owned messaging app is working on giving you the option to hide your "Last Seen" information. You can limit it to your contacts, some people, or no one at all. You can use this same feature with who can see if you're online on the app.

The company is also working on an edit feature for its messages. It's also developing a new way of reacting to chats. Similar to what it's like with Instagram's Direct Messages, the app will let you use any emoji to react to messages.

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WhatsApp allows you to mute and message individuals in group calls

Source: Will Cathcart/TwitterA new update to WhatsApp will help make group calls more manageable. You can now mute and message specific people in group calls and get notified when someone joins that call. The former will come in handy when someone forgets to mute themselves or have a particularly noisy background that distracts from the conversation. If you do a lot of group calls on the app, these new additions might come in handy.

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WhatsApp starts rolling out emoji reactions, 2GB file transfers, increased group chat capacities

Source: WhatsApp

After testing out the feature last month, WhatsApp has started rolling out emoji reactions to users globally. There are six emoji reactions available: Thumbs Up 👍, Red Heart ❤️, Face with Tears of Joy 😂, Face with Open Mouth 😮, Crying Face 😢, and Folded Hands 🙏. You can also send files up to 2GB instead of the 100MB limitation before. WhatsApp seems to be thinking about video file transfers, saying it "will be helpful for collaboration among small businesses and school groups." Group chat capacity has also doubled up to 512 people if you're interested in that. The features are rolling out over the next week on iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows.

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