WhatsApp is going to get a whole lot of features and some of them are inspired by other popular apps but nevertheless they are good to be on the most popular messaging platform in the world.
The first in the lot is the new payments system. WhatsApp had been experimenting with the idea for a couple of weeks now and are going to roll out testing program in select countries. Soon, you will be able to send or receive payments using the app. It will be first tested in the United States, United Kingdom, Poland and India. The company didn’t explain as to why these countries were selected for their test but it could be based on their user base and the way people use the app in these regions that prompted the idea.
In order to keep security threats at minimum, WhatsApp will allow you to send very small amounts of money which makes sure it doesn’t work like a bank. Users will be able to send somewhere between $50 to $100 for starters and the maximum amount that you can send will be very limited even after the full release. There are so many payment apps these days and features like Samsung pay are finding their way into smartphones. The developers want to assure users that their app doesn’t try to mimic any of these functionalities offered by full-fledged payment applications.
Apart from the trial period for payments in the said countries, WhatsApp will also introduce new filters using which you can design your photos the way you want them to before sending it off to friends or groups. The filters which will be available on launch include pop, cool, black & white, film and warm tones. These are some of the basic filters and compared to the huge list available on apps like Instagram, this is very minimal. However, they should solve the requirements of the average user who would like to make his or her photo look a bit different before sharing it openly.
WhatsApp experimented a lot with social networking like features including the live status messages that became such a debacle. Almost everyone who relies on the app on a daily basis want it to function as a messaging app than trying to cram in too many features. Yet, the developers continue to experiment with its reach by introducing payments, live location sharing, filters and many other additions. Location sharing is also coming to Windows Phone version of WhatsApp soon.