WhatsApp had been testing some privacy features for Android users over the last month and now the update is finally available on the Google Play Store.
Android based smartphone users will now be able to disable or control who sees their status messages, last seen time and profile pictures with the latest WhatsApp update. The features present in the update were already being tested in the sideloadable version from the WhatsApp website and have finally landed in the Google Play version of the popular messaging app.
In addition to the privacy features, WhatsApp now lets users pay the subscription amounts for their friends which can be an useful feature for people who do not have access to the various payment options currently available. The full changelog for version 2.11.186, published by the company on the Google Play Store can be seen below:
- New privacy settings for last seen, profile photo and status
- Add Camera shortcut for quicker picture sending
- Add ability to pay for a friend"s WhatsApp service
- Add large video thumbnails in chat
- Add option to show unread messages on home screen widget (Android 3.0+)
- Add option to share/save profile photo/group icon
- Increase message history user can send
- Fix sending flag emoji on Sony phones
- Fix voice note recording volume on Samsung Note 3 and Sony phones
- Enabled Hindi (Android 4.1+)
WhatsApp has been long criticized for the lack of privacy features and it is good to see the company taking the right steps following the acquisition by Facebook. iPhone users have had the ability to disable "last seen" and now that it is available for Android users, we can expect the update to hit Windows Phone soon as well.
Source: Google Play Store via Android Police | Image via Android Police