WhatsApp

WhatsApp users have received an email from Google informing them of a big new change: their backups will no longer count against their Google Drive data allotment. WhatsApp first introduced these backups in 2015, enabling users to store a copy of their messages in the cloud. Over time, depending on how heavily the app is used, these backups can grow into multiple gigabytes, a substantial amount for Google users who only have the 15GB included for free with their account.

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To make WhatsApp a better place for users - and for the company to actually make a profit - there'll be some money involved, soon. The WhatsApp Business announcement released this week suggested that the WhatApp Business app will soon cost cash to use - for businesses, but not all businesses. The company suggested that sone businesses will have to pay to send "certain messages" - but not all.

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Video calling has been a one of WhatsApp's big features for a couple of years now, and today, we're seeing it get a pretty major expansion. Back at the Facebook F8 conference in May, the company announced group video calling for WhatsApp, but declined to say when the feature would launch. Fast forward to today and the wait is over, as group video calling has gone live across both iOS and Android.

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Multi-platform messaging app WhatsApp has announced a new option that essentially allows group chat admins to create one-way broadcast channels, a feature seen on other social services like Telegram and Discord. On the surface it's a way for the Facebook-owned WhatsApp to give group admins more control, but it's also a big step towards letting users turn the app into a way of receiving announcements or breaking news.

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WhatsApp has updated its mobile device support page with new details on when support will end for older Android and iOS handsets: February 1, 2020. On that date, the company plans to end support for the tiny sliver of smartphones still running Android Gingerbread, as well as older versions of iOS and the few iPhones still using them.

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WhatsApp seems to make headlines all for the wrong reasons. The most recent is its CEO's departure over Facebook's privacy policies. Before that, co-founder Brian Acton called for a Facebook boycott over its privacy scandal. Though less sensational, this latest tidbit about WhatsApp could be even more destructive. A few messages are now being forwarded that, when tapped, could send not just the WhatsApp Android app crashing but possibly even the entire Android device as well.

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WhatsApp co-founder and CEO Jan Koum has announced plans to leave the company, saying he will take time off to focus on personal non-tech things. The announcement comes one day ahead of the F8 developers conference and follows a string of privacy-related controversies growing at parent company Facebook.

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You know things have gone from bad to worse when you own ranks are either falling on their swords or turning against you. That’s the plight that Facebook is now facing after days of non-stop criticism over its handling of user data. Facebook is no stranger to controversy and calls to boycott its service. But the latest call to action comes from the strangest and probably most ironic person: Brian Acton, who co-founded WhatsApp which Facebook bought to the tune of $19 billion.

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Vanishing conversations are all the rage these days, and it's one feature that WhatsApp notably lacks. Though everything that passes through WhatsApp is encrypted, that doesn't really help when you say something you think better of upon further reflection. Enter WhatsApp's "delete for everyone" feature, which does precisely what the name says - it allows you to delete your messages after you send them, preventing your conversation partners from seeing them.

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BlackBerry is going after Facebook, as well as its Instagram and WhatsApp companies, for alleged patent infringement. The company filed a lawsuit against the social media platforms today, accusing them of developing mobile apps that infringe on BlackBerry's "mobile messaging intellectual property." A spokesperson for BlackBerry claims the company has spent "several years" in talks with Facebook over the alleged IP infringement, apparently without any progress in the matter.

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Apple's CarPlay has added support for WhatsApp, allowing for voice control of the popular instant messaging service while driving. The latest update to WhatsApp quietly added CarPlay compatibility this week, making the messaging app one of a short list of third-party applications and services that Apple has allowed into its walled garden of features deemed safe enough for the road.

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Though WhatsApp was first envisioned as a communication app for regular people, its impressive growth over the years has driven businesses to sign up for it too. Having a social media presence is important for a lot of businesses these days, so WhatsApp has decided to facilitate them better by launching an app made specifically for them. Today a new app called WhatsApp Business has launched on Android, and while it's mostly the same WhatsApp we're already familiar with, it comes with a handful of enhancements for business users.

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