Having revamped its Settings page on its beta app with new icons and clearer data graphs earlier this month, WhatsApp is now gearing up to bring two new features to its chat messaging app on both Android and iOS. WhatsApp is now expected to seed an ‘Advanced Search’ mode on Android and iOS as well as Group Invitation Feature on Android.
Firstly, the ‘Advanced Search’ mode is expected to come to all users 1.3 billion users of WhatsApp on both Android and iOS. The feature will bring enhanced search tools which will suggest you relevant texts when searched upon but also search the same across the media shared through WhatsApp. This includes any Photos, GIFs, Videos, Documents, Links and Audio shared between users or groups.
When searching for something under the ‘Media Window’, WhatsApp will list all your messages that include an image, video or audio. Users will also get a chance to view their search history which can also be deleted using the ‘Clear’ option. Searched items will also be previewed at the time of the search, thus allowing users to avoid clicking on an item to realise it wasn’t the item they searched for. Advanced Search will be made available for users on both iOS and Android.
Additionally, for Android users, WhatsApp will soon be adding a Group invitation feature inside its chat messaging app. The feature will give you the control over who can add you to a group. Enabling this feature will give no admin the controls to add you to their group without your permission. Group invitation will come with three options – Nobody, My Contacts or Everyone.
When being rolled out, Group invitation on WhatsApp can be accessed by heading over to Settings > Privacy > Groups and click on the option that you choose from the three. Need we remind you that tapping on ‘Everyone’ will bring no change to the behaviour of group invites and any user will be able to add you to a group. Tapping on ‘My Contacts’ can let any person in your contacts add you. However, if you wish to not be added to any more groups by anyone, you can choose ’Nobody’.