WhatsApp's new features: How is your messaging about to get better?

Image credit: Getty Images
In recent months, WhatsApp has rolled out several new features aimed at enhancing communication and privacy for its users. The most notable update is the launch of WhatsApp for iPad, marking a significant step in the platform's multi-device evolution.
Read-
The new iPad app enables users to make video and audio calls with up to 32 participants, share their screen, and seamlessly switch between the front and rear cameras. Optimised for iPadOS, the app supports multitasking features like Stage Manager, Split View, and Slide Over, allowing users to chat while browsing or collaborating on group plans. WhatsApp for iPad is also compatible with accessories like the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil, further streamlining productivity,
This version of WhatsApp is powered by the platform's multi-device technology, which ensures messages, calls, and media stay synced across iPhone, Mac, and other devices—all while maintaining end-to-end encryption. Additional privacy controls, such as chat lock, allow users to safeguard conversations, even on shared devices.
Voice chat for group conversations
Another recent enhancement is the introduction of voice chat for group conversations. Originally available only to large groups, the feature is now accessible in group chats of all sizes.
Voice chats differ from traditional calls in that they don't ring or notify members—participants can join or leave at their convenience. The session remains pinned at the bottom of the chat, making it easy to manage call controls and see who's participating. As with all WhatsApp communication, voice chats are protected with end-to-end encryption.
Advanced Chat Privacy
In April 2025, WhatsApp introduced a new layer of user protection called

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Zawya

20 minutes ago

• Zawya

Wall Street futures slip as US-Iran tensions escalate

U.S. stock futures fell on Monday as Tehran vowed retaliation for American airstrikes on its nuclear facilities over the weekend, sparking fears of a broader conflict in the Middle East. Tehran warned that the U.S. attack had expanded the scope of its military action. Oil prices jumped in a volatile session amid rising concerns around Iran shutting the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil supply route. Brent futures were up 1.2% at $77.91 a barrel as of 07:22 a.m. ET. Energy stocks rose in premarket trading, tracking a surge in crude prices. Shares of energy majors Chevron rose 1.5% and Exxon gained 1.9%. Defense stocks also rose, with Lockheed Martin up 0.5% and RTX Corporation gaining 1.1%. "There is tension but not trauma as investors monitor developments in the Middle East," Richard Hunter, head of markets at Interactive Investor, said in a note. As markets grapple with existing price pressures from President Donald Trump's tariffs, the oil price volatility added a new layer of inflation concerns as the 90-day suspension for U.S. tariffs nears. At 07:43 a.m. ET, Dow E-minis were down 98 points, or 0.23%, S&P 500 E-minis were down 10.25 points, or 0.17%, and Nasdaq 100 E-minis were down 45.75 points, or 0.21% Among other movers, Tesla rose 0.5% after the EV-maker deployed 10 self-driving taxis in Texas, marking the first time Tesla cars without human drivers carried paying riders. Shares of U.S. carriers were mostly down, with Delta Air Lines falling 1.1%, and American Airlines losing 1.3% Shares of Estée Lauder added 2.3% in premarket after Brokerage Deutsche Bank upgraded the cosmetic giant to "buy" from "hold". Following a strong rally in equities last month that pushed indexes close to their record levels, investor momentum was bruised by rising geopolitical tensions. The benchmark S&P 500 index remains about 3% below its record level. Among major economic indicators, attention will be on U.S. core PCE data and final GDP reading, set to be released later in the week. Investors will also closely watch U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's two-day semiannual testimony before Congress, as lawmakers are expected to question the top policymaker on a range of topics, including interest rates and tariffs. This comes after the central bank kept interest rates unchanged in its June monetary policy meeting but flagged inflationary risks due to higher trade duties. In earnings, investors were awaiting fourth-quarter results from sportswear giant Nike and parcel delivery giant FedEx, both scheduled to be released later in the week. Preliminary June PMI data is due at 09:45 a.m. ET and existing home sales data for May is scheduled for release at 10:00 a.m. ET. Fed Board Governor Christopher Waller, Fed Chicago President Austan Goolsbee and Fed San Francisco President Mary Daly are slated to speak later in the day. (Reporting by Kanchana Chakravarty and Nikhil Sharma in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich and Pooja Desai)

Zawya

an hour ago

• Zawya

Gold eases as dollar firms, all eyes on Iran's next move

Gold eased on Monday as the dollar held firm, while market participants remained cautious, watching out for any potential Iranian retaliation to U.S. strikes on its nuclear sites. Spot gold was down 0.1% at $3,365.29 an ounce, as of 1003 GMT. U.S. gold futures fell 0.1% to $3,381.30. The dollar rose 0.6% against its peers, making gold more expensive for foreign buyers. Higher energy prices could potentially delay a Fed rate cut and strengthen the dollar, said Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank. "Continued and multiple geopolitical uncertainties will likely continue to underpin and prevent prices from a deeper correction," he added. Iran and Israel traded air and missile strikes as the world braced for Tehran's response to the U.S. attack on its nuclear sites and U.S. President Donald Trump raised the idea of regime change in the Islamic Republic. Iran vowed to defend itself a day after the U.S. dropped 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs onto the mountain above Iran's Fordow nuclear site. The U.S. bombing of Iran's nuclear sites injected fresh uncertainty into the outlook for inflation and economic activity at the start of a week chock-full of new economic data and central banker commentary, including two days of Congressional testimony from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Last week, the U.S. central bank held interest rates steady, but slowed its overall outlook for rate cuts in response to a more challenging economic outlook. Investors are currently anticipating 50 basis points worth of Fed rate cuts by the end of this year, starting in October. Bullion tends to perform well in low-interest-rate environments and during periods of uncertainty. Elsewhere, spot silver rose 0.4% to $36.14 per ounce, platinum was up 1.8% at $1,287.84, while palladium gained 1.9% to $1,063.43. (Reporting by Anushree Mukherjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore)

Khaleej Times

an hour ago

• Khaleej Times

Amazon's premium beauty push may be a buffer against Trump's tariffs

Amazon's defence against tariffs for its coming Prime Day? Luxury goods. US President Donald Trump's tariffs have spurred some Amazon sellers who source products from China and other heavily tariffed countries to bow out of the company's Prime Day, one of its biggest sales events of the year, to protect their margins. Amazon Prime Day is now a four-day shopping event exclusively for Amazon Prime members, taking place this year from July 8 to July 11. The Seattle-based e-commerce company is hoping that recent sales growth in high-margin cosmetics in its Amazon Premium Beauty category will cushion the impact of tariffs on Prime Day sales revenue and consumer sentiment. "Beauty has become, in the past few years, more of an essential item in consumers' minds," even in hard financial times, said Anna Mayo, vice president of NielsenIQ's Beauty Vertical unit. Amazon Premium Beauty was initially shunned by luxury cosmetic players who feared the platform would harm their image when it was launched in 2013. But those days are gone. Now, the online retailer is promoting products from top beauty and haircare brands including Estee Lauder's Clinique, Olaplex and L'Oreal's Urban Decay. During last year's Prime Day event, US shoppers spent $14.2 billion, up 11% year-over-year, according to Adobe Analytics. Top cosmetics brands can charge high prices and often do not offer steep discounts on Prime Day compared with electronics, apparel and home goods. This year, Adobe Analytics expects beauty product discounts to have "milder" discounts of 10% to 17%, whereas electronics deals are expected to range from 14% to 22% off, said Vivek Pandya, lead analyst at Adobe Digital Insights. That, coupled with the ease of shipping small packages of most products, means that Amazon Premium Beauty merchandise has higher margins than other products sold on Prime Day. Amazon 'doesn't make a huge margin in most of the categories of stuff that it sells online,' said Renee Parker, co-founder of consultancy firm Invinci and a former Amazon executive. "They are making a lot of money on premium beauty products because ... (they're) small and expensive, and you can ship a ton of them.' Vitamins and supplements are successful for similar reasons. Amazon Premium Beauty sales gathered steam after the e-commerce giant began clamping down on counterfeits and top beauty companies needed new ways to reach customers, said Alfonso Emanuele de Leon, a beauty industry veteran and partner at FA Hong Kong Consultancy. Amazon was previously viewed as a pariah by luxury beauty brands because of the cheap merchandise on the website, but is no longer perceived that way, said Emanuele de Leon. 'Huge acceleration' Sales at Amazon Premium Beauty rose by nearly 20% to $15 billion between April 2024 and April 2025, outpacing the 14% growth for beauty products outside the specialized e-commerce store, according to NielsenIQ. It also outpaced the year-over-year growth of 5% for online store sales in the first quarter, NielsenIQ said. L'Oreal Chief Executive Nicolas Hieronimus said during the company's annual meeting in April that having products on Amazon led to a "huge acceleration" in expanding its U.S. market share. Estee Lauder has launched 11 brands on Amazon's U.S. site since March 2024. More than 75% of Estee's finished goods sold in the U.S. originate from the U.S. or Canada and are therefore protected by existing trade agreements, Roberto Canevari, Estee Lauder's global supply chain executive vice president, said at a conference in June. Lauren Gordon, vice president of Amazon at Estee Lauder, said that Prime Day and Amazon's other "high-traffic shopping moments" give the company a chance to "attract both new and existing customers." Melis del Rey, general manager for health and beauty for Amazon U.S. stores, said her team has been "very proactive" in working with premium brands to determine tariff impacts. "At a high level, most of the premium brands' sourcing strategies are local, and therefore, the (tariff) impact is less imminent," del Rey said. Amazon Premium Beauty is an invite-only program for brands shipped and sold by Amazon and third-party sellers. The department has grown to more than 10,000 products, and brands' eligibility is determined on a case-by-case basis. Brands like Dyson and Estee Lauder's Aveda pay an extra 15% commission to Amazon for every website sale, and the third-party seller approach allows major brands to control pricing and inventory. Adding prestige brands including Unilever's Dermalogica has helped the company compete with beauty retailers Ulta Beauty and Sephora, which is owned by LVMH , and also attract older, higher-income shoppers at a time when TikTok Shop is scooping up younger customers.