Meta-owned social messaging platform WhatsApp, has today launched a new feature that lets users create groups on the app without needing to name them.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, announcing the update, said the feature will help users create a group, even if they have not decided on a topic yet or need to create one quickly.
He wrote,
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“Making it simpler to start WhatsApp groups by naming them based on who’s in the chat when you don’t feel like coming up with another name,” he wrote on Facebook, sharing a picture of how the new groups will look.
However, unlike a typical WhatsApp group that can add up to 1,024 participants, the messaging app confirmed that unnamed groups will be limited to up to six participants. These groups will be dynamically named based on the users added to a group, the company says.
Notably, the group name will appear differently for each participant, depending on how they have saved contacts on their phone. If a user joins an unnamed group with people who haven’t saved their contacts, their phone number will be visible in the group name.
This indicates that the feature is likely aimed more at friends and family who are already familiar with one another. Meanwhile, if someone is added to a group with people who don’t have that person saved, then their phone number will show instead.
Meta plans to roll out this feature globally over the next few weeks. It is one of a number of updates that have been added to WhatsApp in recent weeks.
The social messaging app has continued to introduce a range of updates and new features aimed at improving user experience and functionality. The company is also quietly working on other features, including the addition of generative AI to create new stickers just by describing them.
Acquired by Meta in 2014, WhatsApp has amassed over 2 billion monthly active users worldwide. It has become one of the most popular messaging apps globally, used for both personal and business communication.
Despite lagging adoption in the United States, WhatsApp has seen significant growth among Gen Z, students, and early adopters. In particular, the app is extremely popular among Latino communities.
The app’s simple and user-friendly interface has made it a favorite among users of all ages. Lately, WhatsApp has been pushing deep into the business messaging market with WhatsApp for Business, which enables users to have a business presence on the platform.
It has become a go-to platform for small business owners who personally manage conversations with customers. From banking, e-commerce, and more, WhatsApp helps businesses drive results.
Meanwhile, sometimes we overrate customers and how they will react, as we learn that Netflix has continued to sign-up new customers: “Rather than inspire backlash from users as some Wall Street analysts feared, Netflix’s May crackdown on password sharing appears to be netting the company new sign-ups.”
Rather than inspire backlash from users as some Wall Street analysts feared, Netflix’s May crackdown on password sharing appears to be netting the company new sign-ups. According to data from the research firm Antenna, the streaming giant continued to add new U.S. users through July, with about 2.6 million people signing up for the service last month — more than any other paid streaming service. Though July’s subscriber additions represent a 25.7% decline from their June peak, Antenna researchers say the numbers are still above normal, setting expectations for another quarter of strong growth.
Some 100 million households had shared account credentials, Netflix estimates, leading to projections that 50 million new accounts will ultimately be created.
Approximately 23% of new users in July subscribed to the lowest-priced, ad-supported tier.