WhatsApp for iOS Gets New Home Screen Widget for Chats, Camera Updates

[MacRumors]

Popular messaging app WhatsApp was today updated to add a new Home Screen widget that's specific to chats. The widget is available on the iPhone after updating to version 24.21.81, which came out this afternoon.

After updating the widget can be added to the Home Screen using the Edit interface. Users can choose from Recents, Favorites, Pinned, or Frequently Contacted to get quick access to their preferred chats.

WhatsApp has also added support for using 0.5x to 3x zoom with the built-in camera, and there is an option to mention others in Status by tapping the @ button in the composer.

Not all users will receive these updates right away, and WhatsApp says they will "roll out over the coming weeks."

Article Link: WhatsApp for iOS Gets New Home Screen Widget for Chats, Camera Updates

 

[Mr-Stabby]

To be honest, all I'd like is for the Apple Watch to be able to compose chats rather than just reply, and for images to be shown on the watch as anything other than just a blur!

 

[applefan8254]

anything related to meta is negative. They're an anticompetitive monopoly bad for consumers, mental health, innovation, privacy etc...I do not support them. Would prefer if meta would crash and burn.

 

[coffeemilktea]

and there is an option to mention others in Status by tapping the @ button in the composer

This is going to look a little more like Twitter, isn't it? (or considering who owns ZuckChat WhatsApp, I guess it would be Threads?)

 

[infinitedreams]

Popular messaging app WhatsApp

It's so popular that the iPad cannot handle it! Maybe with the M5?

 

[chicago19]

What about the iPad app? I have been waiting for that one for like a decade now.

 

[cczhu]

touché, an iPad App is what they really need

 

[NasserAE]

It's so popular that the iPad cannot handle it! Maybe with the M5?

Not to mention the lack of multiple phone numbers. I have to use WhatsApp Business for my second number.

 

[fromgophonetoiphone]

WhatsApp has also added support for using 0.5x to 3x zoom with the built-in camera

What. What's the point of this when 5x optical zoom was announced in the latest Pro series?

 

[infinitedreams]

Not to mention the lack of multiple phone numbers. I have to use WhatsApp Business for my second number.

If you have WA Business installed it breaks screen sharing on regular WhatsApp for some reason

 

[diego.caraballo]

What. What's the point of this when 5x optical zoom was announced in the latest Pro series?

All lenses supported.
0.5x, 1x, 2x and 5x

 

[farkingdom]

What about the iPad app? I have been waiting for that one for like a decade now.

It’s actually available in beta since last year… it’s just Meta is dragging their feet to release them for some reason

 

[iPhoneFan5349]

What. What's the point of this when 5x optical zoom was announced in the latest Pro series?

What was the point? You couldn’t literally take a good picture with it. You would have to your normal camera app to take it and then share it via WhatsApp. So annoying.

 

[Marshall73]

Still no iPad app?

 

[Mrjoedot]

same applies for WA Business as well.

 

[Mrjoedot]

It's so popular that the iPad cannot handle it! Maybe with the M5?

Man! WhatsApp on iPad is like GTA 6. let's see who'll launch first.

But seriously, I have all the chat apps and they all have iPad version or at least available such as:
FBM
Line
Kakao
WeChat I guess too.
Viber and etc. etc.

now the most famous one doesn't seem to make it available at all.

 

[Pezimak]

Still no general release iPad app. It's getting rather silly now.

 

[Neil Harrison]

Not all users will receive these updates right away, and WhatsApp says they will "roll out over the coming weeks."

Expect it in about a year

 

[svish]

Good to know but I don't use it much.

 

[Fatboy71]

WhatsApp is far from reliable for me (and I have several friends who had this issue too) whereby it would randomly not alert you when you had a text (no tone sounding, no notification banner) and you would only know you had a text waiting when you went into the app and saw it in Chats section. Not what you want from a messaging app!

Since we now have RCS messaging, I have removed it as I see little point in having a third party app (especially a Meta app which I like to have the only absolute minimum of) when I have the included Messages app that has all the messaging features I now need.

 

[simon3163]

Shame the widget doesn’t show you if you have a message. Unlike the app icon.

Now if I get a new message I have to click the app anyway to see who it’s from.

So quicker to send messages via a widget but no change on reading new ones.

 

[Muzzakus]

iPad when? How do I get the beta?

 

[amaze1499]

Didn't they plan to retire that App sooner than later?

 

[IsaacM]

I would literally pay a subscription for a WhatsApp watch and iPad app. It is a struggle being European where nobody uses iMessage. 🥹

 

[IsaacM]

Didn't they plan to retire that App sooner than later?

Absolutely not.

WhatsApp is ranked as the most used mobile messenger app in the world. More than 596.6 million messages are sent each day on WhatsApp. More than 596.6 million voice messages are sent daily on WhatsApp.