So long, WhatsApp has been facing some privacy issues, but now it appears to be one of the most secure messaging service. WhatsApp has announced that the latest version of WhatsApp for Android includes a default end-to-end encryption system that will keep the communication highly secure. The latest update also brings loads of new useful features, which we have listed below.
In an official blog post, Open Whisper System announced that WhatApp has teamed up with them to use their open source TextSecure protocol to encrypt the messages. Interestingly, the messages will be encrypted end-to-end and hence, WhatsApp will not be able to read them or decrypt them even on requests from NSA or other law enforcement agencies. The messages will be accessible only to those who receive them.
Notably, group messages and media messages don't support encryption yet, but the two firms are working together to make this possible. Also, this secure feature will be included only in the latest Android version of the app and those older versions of WhatsApp on Android and other platforms will be unencrypted.
In another related report, WhatsApp has rolled out an option to disable the read receipts feature that was announced earlier this month. This feature shows double blue tick marks once the recipient reads your message. The option to enable or disable read receipts is available for the Android version of WhatsApp with the version number 2.11.453.
If you opt to disable the read receipts feature, you will not get the blue check marks for the messages you send, but you cannot disable them for group messages. The messages sent on groups will get blue ticks only when everyone in the group reads it. Moreover, this update is available only from the WhatsApp website and it is yet to make its way to Google Play Store.
In addition to this, there is interesting information from an Android Lollipop user regarding the messaging service. The update will bring heads-up notifications and the profile pictures will appear inside circles instead of being sqaurish as in the previous iterations of Android.
Above all this, WhatsApp has finally added the support to make multiple group admins and has also increased the limit of group members from 50 to 100. Not only that, the new update also displays which group member is typing. To appoint multiple group admins, the original group admin has to press and hold the contact of another group member and click on "Add [name] to group admins."
To download the latest version of WhatsApp for Android click here.
To be updated...