Four HUGE WhatsApp changes coming in major updates very soon

WHATSAPP is plotting huge app changes that will radically change the texting app.

A series of leaked images have revealed major updates – including the addition of “groups for groups” and message reactions.

WhatsApp / WABetaInfoWhatsApp is working on a message reaction system[/caption]

WhatsApp / WABetaInfoA new WhatsApp polling feature may be on the way[/caption]

These brand new features are currently in testing, but have been repeatedly exposed while “in development”.

WhatsApp won’t explicitly announce the features until they’re ready to go live.

But the WhatsApp sleuths at WABetaInfo have mined the “beta” test version of the app to discover new features not yet widely available to the public.

Now The Sun can reveal the four most exciting of these WhatsApp changes – and they might even land on your iPhone or Android this year.

Sadly, these features are only in testing, so they could be significantly changed, delayed or even scrapped.

Message reactions

Possibly the most exciting new update is the addition of message reactions.

It’s a feature already available on fellow Meta-owned app Facebook, but is now in development for WhatsApp too.

And it could be a great way to make you text less – because you could simply “react” to messages rather than having to type out replies.

The feature-in-testing has six reactions: Like, Love, Laugh, Shocked, Teary Eye, and Pray (or high five…).

Now there’s a plus icon appearing, which could suggest that you can add different emoji reactions.

WhatsApp Communities

WhatsApp Communities will be one of the biggest changes to the app.

It effectively lets you create parent groups for group chats.

Groups are one of the most popular ways to text inside the Facebook-owned app.

But having multiple Groups can sometimes be chaotic – and hard to keep track of.

WhatsApp actually began working on Communities to collect Groups last year.

A Community will be a way to keep Groups organised.

Maybe you could have a Work Community that would have lots of smaller Groups inside.

Or maybe your local area would have a Community, which splits into separate Groups for schooling and complaining about neighbourhood issues.

Polls for pals

A handy new addition in the works is polls.

Yes, WhatsApp is working on a way for you to quickly quiz pals on their opinions.

It’s a feature already available on rival services like Twitter and Telegram.

The feature appears to let you create polls for group chats.

This includes adding a question and up to 12 different options for responses.

WhatsApp’s new polling tool lets you see the answers, but it all stays within the group – including the results.

It could be a way for friends to make a decision on a restaurant.

Or maybe a company WhatsApp could poll its employees on the state of the food in the office cafeteria.

You could even poll your family about rescuing a dog from an animal shelter – and whether it’s right for you.

Or ask for a verdict on your new outfit. Brace yourself, you might not get the poll results you want.

Huge files

Not quite as emotionally thrilling as the other three updates, but useful nonetheless: bigger file transfers.

WhatsApp currently limits you to a maximum size of 100MB the transferring files.

But the app is now testing the ability to send huge files up to 2GB in size.

This trial is currently only available on the beta app – and in Argentina, specifically.

Eventually though, it could be commonplace to send giant files through WhatsApp.

WhatsApp is also testing a modified upload and download alert too, which gives you an estimated-time-of-arrival for files.

That’s not very useful for 100MB documents, but is far handier when you’re swapping multiple-gigabyte files.

So if you’ve been longing for the ability to send giant files on WhatsApp, your wait might nearly be over.

WhatsApp / WABetaInfoWhatsApp Communities are currently hidden in the beta version of the app[/caption]

WhatsApp / WABetaInfoThere’s a big change coming to WhatsApp – bigger file sizes and download/upload ETAs[/caption]

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