WhatsApp is rolling out a number of new features and updates, including one that creates suggested replies with artificial intelligence based on your conversations. The Meta-owned messaging platform is also rolling out other features, including a new way to free up space, the ability to touch photos with Meta AI, and more.
Most notable, however, is the app’s update to the Writing Help feature that helps users compose messages. Writing Help, which first launched last August, already helps users reword, correct or adjust the tone of their messages. On Thursday, the Meta-owned company said in a blog post that this latest update will help users get their message “just right.”
Meta probably hopes that people use its in-app technology when composing messages, rather than external tools like ChatGPT. Of course, not everyone will want to use the new feature, as users likely prefer authentic, personal conversations with friends and family as opposed to AI-generated messages. (Using AI to compose an email is one thing; using it to send a message to your family group chat is another!)
The company claims that conversations remain private even if users use Typing Help.
To access the feature, users tap the chat bar, select the stickers icon in the typing field, and then tap the pencil with the glitter dust icon that indicates an AI feature.
When it comes to freeing up space, WhatsApp can now help users find and delete large files right in any chat. This means users can get rid of what they don’t need without having to wipe entire conversations. For example, they could choose to delete only media files when clearing a chat, while keeping the chat history intact.
The company also announced that users can now use Meta AI to touch photos directly in a chat. This will allow users to do things like remove a distraction in an image, change the background or apply a new style.
Additionally, WhatsApp now supports the option to move chat history from iOS to Android as well as within the same platform. Additionally, users have the option to have two WhatsApp accounts connected simultaneously on iOS, which is already possible on Android.
Stickers on WhatsApp are also being updated, as WhatsApp will now specifically suggest emojis to users as they type so they can swap them for a sticker.
These new features are rolling out now and will be available to all users soon, WhatsApp says.
