WhatsApp has announced numerous new features designed to improve the experience of using group chats. Whether it’s chatting with work colleagues, chatting with soccer friends or the “classic” family chat, the new functions announced by the platform developed by Meta will be able to make communications simpler and more immediate. In this case, WhatsApp has introduced the possibility of creating anonymous and timed surveys, a new mention @tutti and the possibility of creating parallel chats from already existing groups. Let’s take a closer look at each of these new functions by first seeing what they allow you to do and then, practically, how to use them on your WhatsApp account.
How to do new surveys on Whatsapp
Let’s start with the news regarding surveys, which are becoming more “intelligent”. A first new feature concerns the possibility of setting a voting deadline: once the established day and time has been reached, the survey closes automatically and it is no longer possible to vote. This allows you to avoid unnecessary waiting and make decisions on time.
The second novelty concerns anonymous surveys. Until now it was possible to see who had voted for each option; now, however, you can activate an option that allows you to hide the names of voters. In this way preferences remain reserved and everyone can vote with greater freedom, without having influence from the other participants in the conversation and without the obligation of having to justify their choice.
To use these two new features, do this:
- Open the group chat you are interested in.
- Tap the + button and select the Survey item.
- After filling in the Question and Options fields, move the switches corresponding to Hide voter names and Set end time to ON.
- If you have decided to end the survey, indicate the end day and time using the appropriate menus.
- Tap Send to send the survey in chat.
Another new feature regarding surveys is the one that allows you to modify the question asked within 15 minutes of its creation. If you notice a typing error, an unclear sentence or the need to clarify the question better, it will finally no longer be necessary to delete the survey and redo it from scratch, but simply correct it within the appropriate time, following these other steps:
- Make a long tap on the survey.
- Select the Edit option.
- Correct the question posed using the typing bar that appears at the bottom.
- Tap the checkmark icon to save the changes you have made.
How to use the @tutti mention to tag group participants
Another function introduced by WhatsApp is the possibility of mentioning all the participants in a group chat using the @tutti function. This innovation allows each member of the chat to receive a notice regarding the mention without having to mention all the names individually. This will save us a lot of time!
The function is designed above all for urgent or particularly relevant communications. It can be used, for example, to signal a change in the time of an appointment, remind you of an upcoming deadline, communicate a last minute change, and so on. In groups with more than 32 participants, this must be said, the possibility of using @tutti is reserved for administrators.
Notifications relating to the mention @tutti can reach you even if you have muted the group chat but, as WhatsApp explains, it will still be possible to control the way in which these notifications are delivered and deactivate them at any time from the settings.
To use this new feature, simply open a group chat, tap on the message typing bar, write @ on the keyboard, select everyone from the menu that opens, write the rest of the message and send it in the usual way.
How parallel chats are created
The latest innovation concerns the creation of parallel chats starting from already existing groups. According to WhatsApp these chats «they’re perfect for starting a side conversation to plan a surprise party, coordinate event logistics, or delve deeper into a topic without clogging up the main chat» where the participants to include in the new group conversation are located.
To use the new feature, these are the steps to follow:
- Open the group chat you want to start from to create a similar chat.
- Tap the group name (top).
- Scroll to the bottom of the screen and select the Create similar group option.
- Press Next (if you need to include extra members you can do so now by selecting them from the proposed menu).
- Give the group a name and save it by tapping Create.
