WhatsApp has rolled-out a swathe of new features for iPhone owners.
The world's most popular messenger has pushed-out a new version of its app to take advantage of the new capabilities of iOS 10, the operating system update released by Apple earlier this week.
However users will have to update their iPhone to iOS 10 to take advantage of the new features included in the app update.
iOS 10 is available to download now.
Simply head to Settings > General > Software Update on your chosen device.
Ensure you have a solid wifi connection and that your iPhone is either on charge, or has more than 50 per cent battery remaining.
Once you have update your iPhone, you will be able to use voice assistant Siri to dictate and send messages.
Enable the Siri support by heading to Settings > Siri > App Support.
If you have an iPhone 6S or newer, you can summon Siri from anywhere on your iPhone by saying "Hey Siri".
You can then ask the virtual assistant to send a message via WhatsApp to draft a new text handsfree, without evening having to launch the app.
WhatsApp VOIP phone calls, which will not count towards the minutes on your monthly mobile allowance or cost you to make calls abroad, now appear on the lockscreen like calls made via the default Phone app.
Speaking of the lockscreen, there's also a new interactive widget that lets you quickly jump into a recent chat or see which conversations have any unread messages.
This should make it faster to jump right back into the conversation you need. It will also work as a reminder for any leftover unread messages.
When taking photos or videos in WhatsApp version 2.16.10, you can double-tap your screen to switch between the front and rear cameras.
Chats you frequently contact now appear when forwarding or sharing messages.
But despite the new features, there is still no support for GIFs in the hugely-successful chat app.
The news comes as WhatsApp confirmed it will now pass on users' information to parent company Facebook.
The latest change announced on the official company blog – marks a dramatic change for the hugely-successful messaging service.
When the messenger was bought by Facebook back in 2014, the founder assured users their data would remain private separate from the social network.
"Respect for your privacy is coded into our DNA, and we built WhatsApp around the goal of knowing as little about you as possible,” the privacy policy read.
Speaking during the acquisition, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said: "It would be pretty stupid of us to interfere."
But that appears to have changed.
Lily Collins and WhatsApp Co-founder Jan Koum
WhatsApp has announced a number of changes to its terms and privacy policy the first in four years that allows the chat app to hand-over information to Facebook.
Under the new changes, Facebook is able to see the phone number that people have associated with their WhatsApp account.
That allows the US social network to link and track profiles between the two services, helping Facebook gather more data for its advertisements.
WhatsApp claims the changes will make the experience better for its users.
"By coordinating more with Facebook, we'll be able to do things like track basic metrics about how often people use our services and better fight spam on WhatsApp," the company explained on its blog.
"And by connecting your phone number with Facebook's systems, Facebook can offer better friend suggestions and show you more relevant ads if you have an account with them.
"For example, you might see an ad from a company you already work with, rather than one from someone you've never heard of."
The world's most popular messenger assured users that its “belief in the value of private communications is unshakeable, and we remain committed to giving you the fastest, simplest, and most reliable experience on WhatsApp”.
The criteria ranges from the obvious – age, hometown, school, friends – to the downright bizarre.
For example, Facebook keeps a record of when you've recently started a new relationship, calculates how much money you are likely to spend on your next car, tracks what operating system you are using to login to the social network, and more.
It will even track the types of credit cards you have owned.
If you would like to opt-out and stop WhatsApp sharing your data with Facebook you should uncheck the small box above the Agree button when asked to accept the revised terms.
Under the new changes, Facebook is able to see the phone number that people have associated with their WhatsApp account.
That allows the US social network to link and track profiles between the two services, helping Facebook gather more data for its advertisements.
WhatsApp claims the changes will make the experience better for its users.
"By coordinating more with Facebook, we'll be able to do things like track basic metrics about how often people use our services and better fight spam on WhatsApp," the company explained on its blog.
"And by connecting your phone number with Facebook's systems, Facebook can offer better friend suggestions and show you more relevant ads if you have an account with them.
"For example, you might see an ad from a company you already work with, rather than one from someone you've never heard of."
The criteria ranges from the obvious – age, hometown, school, friends – to the downright bizarre.
For example, Facebook keeps a record of when you've recently started a new relationship, calculates how much money you are likely to spend on your next car, tracks what operating system you are using to login to the social network, and more.
It will even track the types of credit cards you have owned.
If you would like to opt-out and stop WhatsApp sharing your data with Facebook you should uncheck the small box above the Agree button when asked to accept the revised terms.
Source: Express
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