WhatsApp reveals another new feature that makes it almost impossible to hide from unwanted chats
WhatsApp has started testing a new group chat feature that will allow users to view the number of people in the group that are online.
It makes avoiding unpleasant interactions all but impossible and is the silent observer’s greatest fear.
It does, however, suggest when it could be appropriate to strike up a conversation.
WABetaInfo was the first to notice the online counter, which shows how many people have WhatsApp open on their devices at the top of group chats.
It takes the place of the indicator that indicated which user was recording or typing a message.
The feature has not yet been made available to everyone worldwide; it is presently available in a beta version of the messenger.
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In the upcoming weeks, a wider rollout is anticipated.
Thankfully, there will be a method to avoid it.
Users who have turned off online status visibility—which can be done in the app’s settings—are not included in the head count.
In this manner, your contacts are unable to determine whether you are online or not.
In recent weeks, WhatsApp has made several minor adjustments to the service, but two of them have managed to infuriate users.
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The messenger substituted a new ellipsis conversation bubble, similar to the one found in Apple’s iMessage, for the “typing…” message that appeared at the top of chats.
A few days later, the voice notes underwent a similar modification, with the message at the top of the screen indicating that someone was recording being replaced.
At the bottom of the chat, the app has substituted a microphone icon for the message.
WhatsApp simply capitalized “Online” and “Typing…” earlier this year, which caused a stir on the internet.
However, WhatsApp swiftly changed its mind and said it was just “a small test”.
It’s a human psyche thing, not an app’s problem
By Millie Turner, Reporter for Technology and Science
Apps undergo a facelift every few years or so, frequently involving changes to layouts, typefaces, and color schemes.
A statement is then released by an executive describing the alteration as “contemporary” and having been “designed with users in mind.”
However, apps and their developers must recognize one basic reality: consumers dislike change.
Furthermore, no matter how minor the change appears, there will almost always be criticism when a dazzling new design is shown.
We’ve all been there: launching an app you use every day and feeling dissatisfied and upset because your muscle memory is giving you trouble because of a fresh layout.
People like what they know, whether it’s a new WhatsApp update that is “ugly,” a Facebook redesign that just looks “gross,” or a Twitter (now X) switch-up that physically gives its users migraines.
Human psychology is a major factor here.
However, it is clearly unrealistic to expect applications to become obsolete.
What is the solution, then?
Before adjusting to the new standard, consumers should take a moment to kick and scream.
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