This is both good and bad news for WhatsApp users, depending on how you feel about change.

Over the last few months, owners Facebook have been working on some “drastic changes” to the messaging app, which they plan on implementing soon.

If you weren’t aware that Facebook owns WhatsApp, welcome to the horror show. This might explain why anybody you’re on a WhatsApp group chat with keeps on popping up in the ‘people you may know’ section on Facebook.

Anyway, here’s MyBroadband with the features that have already been rolled out:

These range from user experience enhancements such as the ability to send file attachments and the implementation of a dark mode, to security-focused additions such as two-factor authentication and encrypted chats.

Let’s get to those “massive changes” coming to WhatsApp in the near future.

Adverts

Facebook wants to integrate adverts into WhatsApp in a way that won’t mess with user experience.

The company has said it will begin showing adverts on WhatsApp’s status page starting from the beginning of 2020.

“WhatsApp will bring Stories Ads in its status product in 2020,” an attendee of Facebook’s Marketing Summit tweeted in May 2019.

These status advertisements will be the primary monetisation method for the company, and would work similarly to Instagram’s Stories adverts.

It’s also going to make it possible for users to browse consumer products from within the app.

Gross.

Cryptocurrency

Facebook has been working on a cryptocurrency for a while now, although it’s unclear whether the WhatsApp one will be the same as Facebook’s GlobalCoin.

The digital currency will allow WhatsApp users to send money to their friends and family across local and international borders.

Facebook has communicated with a number of cryptocurrency exchanges regarding the selling of its cryptocurrency, the underlying technology of which will exist on a network of decentralised computers.

The cryptocurrency will be a transactional currency rather than a store of value.

Facebook integration and QR codes

WhatsApp users will soon be able to share their status updates to their Facebook page.

Once this feature is added, users who have Facebook installed on their smartphone and post a status update on WhatsApp will be presented with an “Add to Facebook Story” option.

It is important to note that this feature will not automatically post your statuses to your Facebook page, and will require manual authorisation from the user every time.

That’s good, because my status update has been “Tap to add status update” for close to five years now.

Rules

WhatsApp is cracking down on the misuse of the app – finally.

A post published under the WhatsApp FAQ section details Facebook’s approach to misuse of its WhatsApp Business API.

WhatsApp said it was aware that some users were exploiting its systems to send spam to users, and it has banned millions of abusive accounts which engaged in this behaviour.

The company has now gone one step further, promising to take legal action against users who abuse its systems to send out bulk messages or use the application for non-personal tasks.

Now, this I can get behind. No more targeted spam.

These changes will most likely be rolled out over the course of the year.

Look out for them.

[source:mybroadband]