WhatsApp updated with new 3D Touch feature and rich link previews
WhatsApp Messenger, the wildly popular messaging app acquired by Facebook for $19 billion in early 2014, has just been updated on iOS with several notable improvements.
New 3D Touch feature
A month ago, WhatsApp was updated with support for 3D Touch, the pressure-sensitive multi-touch technology introduced by Apple on iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. As a result, the app began enabling iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus users to “Peek and Pop” photos, videos, links, contact cards, and locations sent and received in chats.
Now, WhatsApp has extended its support for 3D Touch with a new Peek and Pop capability for chats. When you press on an item in the chat list, you can quickly preview the recent content of that chat, and then you can swipe up to access options to mark it as unread, archive it, mute it, or delete it — all without leaving the chat list.
You can now use 3D Touch to Peek and Pop chats on WhatsApp.
Rich link previews
The latest update to WhatsApp also adds support in chats for rich inline previews of sent or received links.
Similar to those in Facebook Messenger, the rich inline link previews in WhatsApp include the link’s title, a truncated line from the link’s main content, a lead image, and the link’s source website — thereby giving users an idea of what a link is about even before it’s opened.
Unlike Facebook Messenger, though, WhatsApp gives you the option to not include a rich preview when sending a link. After pasting the link you want to share into the text field, just tap the “x” button on the preview of the link preview right above the text field to send the link on its own.
WhatsApp now supports rich inline link previews.
Redesigned Settings tab
The new version of WhatsApp also boasts a revamped Settings tab. The redesigned Settings tab features a more streamlined menu whose options are accompanied with icons that add color as well as visual cues.
Notably, the new Settings menu includes an item that lets you view all of your starred messages across all of your chats in one place, enabling you find a particular starred message more easily without having to know which chat it’s from. As before, you can browse your starred messages for a given chat by going to the contact or group info screen.
The ability to star messages was added to WhatsApp early last month. To star a message for quick and easy reference later, just tap and hold on the message and tap the star button in the contextual menu.
The new version of WhatsApp features a redesigned Settings tab with quick access to all starred messages.
Compatible with iPhone, WhatsApp Messenger is available on the App Store for free. Using WhatsApp costs nothing for the first year, and $0.99 per year thereafter.
