The much-awaited update of the largest messaging app, WhatsApp, is here as it has launched a new feature that promises to change the way you use the messenger app. Alike Snapchat, the new feature will allow users to share photos, videos and animated GIFs with friends and family, all of which will disappear in 24 hours.
The feature which is similar to Snapchat Stories is being rolled out to WhatsApp’s 1.2 billion users across Android, iOS and Windows Phone platform.
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CEO and co-founder of WhatsApp, Jan Koum, in his blog said:
“Starting today, we are rolling out an update to status, which allows you to share photos and videos with your friends and contacts on WhatsApp in an easy and secure way. Yes, even your status updates are end-to-end encrypted.”
In April 2016, WhatsApp announced that it is using end-to-end encryption in all communication between users. “This new and improved status feature will let you keep your friends who use WhatsApp easily updated in a fun and simple way. From all of us at WhatsApp, we hope you enjoy it,” Koum added.
The feature has been rolled out just days before WhatsApp’s 8th birthday, which fall on February 24.
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Earlier this month, WhatsApp started rolling out two-step verification feature for all users. It adds an extra layer of security to a WhatsApp account by requiring a secondary method of authentication. The feature aims to prevent others from activating a phone number on WhatsApp without a six-digit passcode.
“Two-step verification is an optional feature that adds more security to your account. When you have two-step verification enabled, any attempt to verify your phone number on WhatsApp must be accompanied by the six-digit passcode that you created using this feature,” the company said on its official blog post.