In April, WhatsApp gained a tool that allows to download and consult the user's personal data stored on the company's servers. The application also brought Android to the audio lock function, which until then was only available for iPhone (iOS).
Mobile phones with the Google system also received a feature that allows you to listen to a voice message before sending it in the chat, in addition to testing new notifications that organize alerts by priority. See, below, the main news of the messenger in this month.
See all the news that arrived on WhatsApp in April Photo: Anna Kellen Bull / dnetc
How to adjust WhatsApp notifications on Android 8 Oreo
User data report
Given the requirements of the European Union's new data protection law, WhatsApp has released a way to download personal information into the app. Available in WhatsApp Beta for Android, the test version of the application, the tool allows you to request a report with user data stored on the company's server. It is not yet known when the resource will be available to everyone.
The report displays information such as contacts, number of groups, profile picture and privacy settings that were last defined on the cell phone. However, unlike Facebook information, the data package does not contain messages from the user, since the content of the chat is protected by encryption and does not allow access by WhatsApp itself.
In April, WhatsApp released a tool to request data Photo: Raquel Freire / dnetc
Audio lock for Android
WhatsApp made it easier to record long audio messages on Android. By pressing the application's microphone button, the user can slide up to lock the recorder and continue talking with their free hands. The app keeps capturing the user's voice without having to touch the phone screen. When finished, you can send or cancel to discard the message.
The feature took a long time to reach Android, and is available, for now, only on WhatsApp Beta. The iPhone version has been offering audio lock since November 2017.
WhatsApp on iPhone: how to use audio message lock
Listen to audio before sending
Shortly after the arrival of the audio lock, WhatsApp gave Android the option of listening to the message before sending. The feature is only available in the Beta version and by means of a trick: it is necessary to record the audio, exit WhatsApp and access the app again, since the function is a kind of backup in case the user is forced to close the program suddenly. The tool also prevents audio from being lost when receiving a call.
The feature also came with a delay compared to the iPhone version, which has had audio prior to January 2018.
WhatsApp trick for Android lets you hear audio before sending Photo: Helito Bijora / dnetc
WhatsApp lets you highlight WhatsApp notifications on the Android notification screen. When activated, it is possible to keep message alerts at the top of your notification list, even after the most recent notices arrive. The feature is available from Beta version 2.18.117.
WhatsApp Beta gained support for priority notifications Photo: Helito Bijora / dnetc
New form of removal for administrator
Group administrators have gained the power to revoke the privilege of other administrators in a simple way. To do this, simply access the user menu and open the options for a specific contact. Removal can be done with just one touch, as long as the participant is not the creator of the conversation.
Before, it was necessary to remove the user and add him back to the group in order to become a common member. The novelty first arrived on the iPhone, but later appeared in the WhatsApp Beta for Android.
WhatsApp j allows you to remove administrators in groups easily Photo: Marvin Costa / dnetc
Recovery of old photos and videos
WhatsApp has made it more flexible to download media that has been deleted from your phone. From version 2.18.106 of the messenger for Android, it is possible to recover photos and videos that had been removed from memory. The resource works as long as the content has been received for a maximum of four months. The function allows you to download the files again in case of accidental deletion or after cleaning the smartphone.
Previously, WhatsApp allowed to download only the averages of 30 days ago that had not yet been obtained. Now, the download can be carried out even if it has already been done. To work, I need the thumbnail of the photo or video to still be present in the conversation.
WhatsApp lets you download deleted media from your device again Photo: Anna Kellen Bull / Tech
Cryptography in WhatsApp Business
Following the negative repercussions of the Cambridge Analytica case on Facebook, WhatsApp released new information that reiterates the presence of cryptography in the Business version of the application. The company stated in April that all messages and voice calls in the app are protected from end to end, and only users who participate in the communication have access.
WhatsApp took the opportunity to make it clear, however, that encryption does not prevent several people from having access to the chat. Protection applies to devices that send and receive information, and do not prevent data from being read by more than one person on the other side of the conversation. In business communications, such as WhastApp Business, the company recalls that this scenario tends to be even more common.
WhatsApp reaffirms the presence of cryptography in the Business version Photo: Rita Silveira / dnetc
In April there were at least two scams on WhatsApp that drew attention. The most serious of them involved a fake Bolsa Famlia campaign, which alerted more than 600,000 cell phones with PSafe's DFNDR Security application installed. The crime took place through messages with false promises to deposit into accounts of real beneficiaries of the program. To win the supposed prize, several victims ended up installing malware apps on their cell phones.
Another scam targeted prepaid phone users. Promising to receive free mobile phone recharges, victims downloaded apps with advertisements that were only intended to generate advertising revenue for criminals. The case was also revealed by PSafe, and uses a method similar to the Bolsa Famlia scam. According to the company, 26,000 people were reached in just one day.
Coup on WhatsApp used name of Bolsa Famlia to attract clicks Photo: Thssius Veloso / dnetc
