In July 2017, WhatsApp added support for file uploads of all file types, with a limit of 100 MB. In November 2023, WhatsApp added a “voice chat” feature for groups with more than 32 members. In 2022, WhatsApp added the ability for users to turn off their online status. Three days after announcing the Facebook purchase, Koum said they were working to introduce voice calls. Although Acton was working on another startup idea, he decided to join the company.
Data Not Linked to You
As of 2025, the software requires at least Android version 5.0 or iOS version 15.1 respectively. WhatsApp also introduced chat filters, allowing users to sort their chats by All, Unread or Groups. This was implemented only on Samsung phones, with plans to expand to Android and iOS “soon”.
Security and encryption
The ban was prompted by concerns of US authorities potentially accessing user data for such apps because of the CLOUD Act. The army recommended that all army personnel use Threema instead, as the service is based in Switzerland. This new encryption feature added an additional layer of protection to chat backups stored either on Apple iCloud or Google Drive. WhatsApp was initially criticized for its lack of encryption, sending information as plaintext. End-to-end encryption was only fully implemented in April 2016 after a two-year process.
Platform support
Many WhatsApp Desktop users are unaware of the numerous privacy-related options. You can also decide who can see your profile pictures and statuses and even lock your user session by setting a special password. One of the most important parts of WhatsApp Desktop is that, as mentioned above, it offers the same features as the mobile version but on PC.
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- In January 2021, WhatsApp announced a controversial new privacy policy allowing WhatsApp to share data with its parent company, Facebook.
- When a user deletes media for everyone, WhatsApp does not delete images saved in the iOS camera roll and so those users are able to keep the images.
- In September 2019, WhatsApp was criticized for its implementation of a ‘delete for everyone’ feature.
- In 2022, WhatsApp added the ability for users to turn off their online status.
- In August 2022, WhatsApp launched an integration with JioMart, available only to users in India.
- They link to and sync with WhatsApp actively running on a supported primary phone.
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End-to-end encryption
On November 14, 2016, WhatsApp added video calling for users using Android, iPhone, and Windows Phone devices. This ability (named multi-device support) began testing in July 2021 and rolled out to all users in April 2023. They link to and sync with WhatsApp actively running on a supported primary phone. Linked devices automatically log out after 14 days of inactivity on the primary phone. In June 2023, a feature called WhatsApp Channels was launched which allows content creators, public figures and organizations to send newsletter-like broadcasts to large numbers of users.
Messenger Plus for WhatsApp
At the time, it was the largest acquisition of a venture-capital-backed company in history. Sequoia Capital received an approximate 5,000% return on its initial investment. Days after the announcement, WhatsApp users experienced a loss of service, leading to anger across social media. In 2016, Lucky Friends casino WhatsApp was accused of copying features from a then-unreleased version of iMessage.
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- This ability (named multi-device support) began testing in July 2021 and rolled out to all users in April 2023.
- The organization reported a massive drop-off in traffic for the blocked services, though the country’s government made no official statements about the block.
- This allows users to send messages between other messaging apps and WhatsApp while maintaining end-to-end encryption.
- In November 2023, WhatsApp added a “voice chat” feature for groups with more than 32 members.
- Visual effects also became available, adding visual filters to a user’s video feed.
- In July 2025, WhatsApp stopped developing the Windows UWP-based app due to poor support and deprecation of the UWP framework by Microsoft.
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Similar apps
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- This would give them some context for why they are important, and that will lead them to pay for more services like this – or so the hope goes.
- Similar to voice messages, this feature allows users to record and send short videos directly in a chat.
- In February 2017, WhatsApp reached 200 million monthly active users in India.
- A Wired report noted the attack was able to inject malware via calls to the targeted phone, even if the user did not answer the call.
- The app collected data on who the users contacted and how often, and when and how they were using the app.
- On October 14, 2021, WhatsApp rolled out end-to-end encryption for backups on Android and iOS.
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However, the WhatsApp privacy policy does not apply in the EU, since it violates the principles of GDPR. In August 2014, WhatsApp was the most popular messaging app in the world, with more than 600 million users. By early January 2015, WhatsApp had 700 million monthly users and over 30 billion messages every day.
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