WhatsApp remains the most popular messaging app in our country (and in the world), but it is becoming increasingly social with its recent new features. Following today’s announcement of the launch of Channels, this situation is even more evident. But going back a year, there are many innovations announced by Mark Zuckerberg and colleagues who have the rest the most similar application to a social. Starting with the introduction of Reactions last July, which allow you to express your emotions with emojis in response to messages received.
WhatsApp increasingly social, from Reactions to Channels
In one year, WhatsApp has made it known several times that it wants to make its application not just a messaging platform, but an app capable of performing various functions. Anyone who has shopped or contacted professionals knows that one of these functions is the commercial one: more and more it becomes a tool for working realities of all kinds. But Meta also wants WhatsApp to be more like a social platformwhere users can not only communicate with each other, but also discover and participate in larger and more interesting conversations.
A year of social news for WhatsApp
The launch last July of the reactions has brought a typically social feature such as replying to messages with emojis: an evolution of the Like that made the fortune of Facebook, progenitor of the technological empire that today is called Meta. And today’s launch of the Channelswhich allow you to communicate with many users at the same time, has a much more social approach than apps for private messages.
In the midst of these two dates, a lot of news has arrived which demonstrates that the move towards the social networks of WhatsApp is now a definite trend. The Groups have become wider, from some months capable of accommodating up to 1024 people. But in addition to the number, the interactions in the groups have also changed: for example it becomes possible to make surveys.
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Then there are typically social features such as that of Avatars, also arrived in 3D. And WhatsApp has introduced novelties too to states and histories, which he imported directly from Meta’s other social media (after “borrowing” them from Snapchat). He also seems to be working for Directly share WhatsApp Statuses on Facebook.
Finally, a new (but very social) chapter is that of Community. Which are the closest thing to Facebook Groups you can create on a messaging app.
Not just social
WhatsApp’s move to communicate more broadly, however, comes in a year where the Meta company has really innovated a lot. Reactions and Channels look like a sort of “manifesto” for a WhatsApp that wants us to talk to everyone. But on the other hand for a few months we can also send messages to ourselves.
But recently we have also seen new things like collaboration with TrueCaller to block spam, unfortunately growing. AND Chat Lock to make conversations more private, accessible only after authentication. Then came really interesting and highly anticipated news such as the possibility of using the app on multiple devices at the same time. Or the coveted message editing function.
A necessary change, considering the competition
WhatsApp gets more social with every update. But also safer, more performing, more functional. The updates seem to have become much more significant in the last period, for an increasingly evident fact: the competition is there and it runs fast.
iMessage in the United States it is the reference messaging app, even though it is only available on iOS, offering complete integrations for iPhone users. In Asia WeChat it is popular thanks to a series of services related to the application, from payments to social features. And in Europe, though Telegram remains a minority, is conquering market shares by offering advanced functions. Many of which seem to have “inspired” WhatsApp: from channels to reactions, which Telegram has successfully implemented before.
Social media is an area Meta recognizes as worth investing in, especially given Twitter’s problems following the purchase of Elon Musk. So much so that the company would be working on another social network, codenamed Barcelonawhich could compete with Twitter. It will be a decentralized social network, to offer an alternative to Instagram e Facebook. And with WhatsApp that offers social features on a messaging app, Meta’s package will be even more complete.
WhatsApp remains strong in its diffusion and remains firmly at the top of the market. But it can’t help but innovate, when rivals are blowing more and more on its neck. The result is that WhatsApp is including more and more services and functions – even in the social sphere. What do you think the next news could be? Any Reels on WhatsApp? Live video or audio? Let us know in the comments.