WhatsApp is the world’s most popular mobile messaging app. Recently, a threshold of 100 billion messages was exceeded every day. Facebook’s own platform has been continuously improving and adding to it since its introduction in the late 2000s.
Between VoIP and video calls, improved data protection controls, biometric authentication and Any.do integration, numerous functions have come to the platform in recent years. However, there is a lot more the company could bring to the table. With that in mind, let’s look at some of the features WhatsApp should take over from competing messaging apps.
1. Support of multiple numbers (telegram)
Recognition: Hadlee Simons / Android Authority
One of the downsides to using WhatsApp is that it doesn’t officially play well with multiple numbers. The dual apps feature, available on devices from Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi, and several other brands, allows you to manage two accounts on one phone, but it’s not a particularly elegant solution.
However, Telegram has native support for multiple numbers, so you can have up to three accounts in one app. We definitely want this function to be officially implemented in WhatsApp.
2. Notice to yourself (signal)
Recognition: Hadlee Simons / Android Authority
Signal is one of the few mobile messaging apps that you can use to take notes, save URLs, and more. This is known as a “note to yourself” and looks just like any other contact on your list. However, it is reserved for your own notes. In a reasonable touch, notes are also synced to linked devices.
See more: Signal: What is it and why is everyone talking about it?
You can technically replicate the feature by creating a group with someone else and then excluding the contact so that you are the only member. Even so, it would be much better to see a native option in WhatsApp.
3. Surveys (Telegram, Threema)
Recognition: Hadlee Simons / Android Authority
Another nice telegram function (and one that can also be found in the Threema IM app) is the ability to conduct surveys for groups and channels. Telegram later built on this basis with Polls 2.0 and enabled quiz questions, several answers and a few other extras.
Continue reading: What is Telegram Messenger and why should you use it?
Such a poll function would be welcome in WhatsApp. For example, you can quickly decide on a place to have lunch with friends (despite the pandemic). Hopefully, the company will implement this particular feature sooner rather than later as it seems a matter of course for the platform.
4. Blur faces before sending pictures (signal)
Recognition: Hadlee Simons / Android Authority
Signal has numerous privacy-related functions. The ability to blur faces in a picture before sending it to a contact is one such thoughtful addition. This can be activated by simply tapping the checkered blur icon next to the pencil icon and then toggling the “blur faces” option and / or drawing on blur.
We want WhatsApp to offer something similar that allows you to share pictures without compromising the privacy of other people who are on the scene right now. This could be particularly useful during protests where authorities use facial recognition systems to identify people.
5. Message reactions (signal, telegram)
Recognition: Hadlee Simons / Android Authority
Message reactions are available in some high profile apps these days, including Discord and Slack. Signal and Telegram also offer it on mobile IM platforms, but the principle is the same in both cases.
This feature allows you to quickly respond to a message with an emoji, with the emoji you want to be attached to the message in question. That way, you don’t have to send a message in chat that includes the emoji as a brand new answer. Add this feature to the list of WhatsApp features we’d like to see in a future update!
6. Sending without sound (telegram)
Recognition: Hadlee Simons / Android Authority
Not every message requires an immediate response as people may be preoccupied with more pressing matters. For this reason, I am glad that Telegram has the “send without sound” feature. Just press and hold the Send button and select that option to send a message that your contact’s phone won’t buzz.
Connected: How to block and unblock someone on WhatsApp
We’d like more messaging apps to do this (including WhatsApp) as it could help recipients deal with incoming messages without resorting to muting contacts or their phones.
7. Scheduled messages (telegram)
Recognition: Hadlee Simons / Android Authority
This is probably one of the most requested features in WhatsApp, but it’s been available in Telegram for over a year. Here you can select a date and time for the delivery of a message.
Unfortunately, message scheduling on WhatsApp currently requires third-party apps. However, we’d love to see native features as they can be useful for birthday wishes, reminders you need to send to other people, and much more.
8. Camera review (Kik)
Recognition: Hadlee Simons / Android Authority
The longtime Kik Messenger app has a pretty neat idea with its camera review feature. This will add a “camera” tag to images captured with the app’s camera, as opposed to older images that were added as attachments from your gallery.
We have seen third-party hacks to bypass these tags and we would generally recommend taking pictures with their phone camera app instead for the best results. However, a solid implementation in WhatsApp could be another great way to combat misinformation and jokes in general.
That’s it for our list of competing messaging app features WhatsApp should offer. Are there any features you’d like to see in the app? Let us know in the comments!