WhatsApp Messenger for Android, iPhone updated with Read receipts

The world’s largest user base mobile messaging application, WhatsApp Messenger app has been updated with read receipts system, both android and iPhone app has been updated with this new feature. Whatsapp messenger users can see a small, but powerful change in their app. The new update of WhatsApp messenger is showing double-check marks turning in blue colour, which means the recipient has opened and read the sent message.

However this is not an actual application update, there is absolutely no need to update your WhatsApp from Google Play store or from Apple App Store. Actually this feature has been rolled out in all existing WhatsApp messenger app itself silently. You can feel this small change in the app, but this small change can make a huge difference in how people use this messaging app.

WhatsApp message read receipt feature:

As we already know a “single-check mark” shows the message has been sent and a “double-check mark” shows that the message has been delivered to recipient. Now if you are getting confused, what’s new in this Whatsapp Read Receipt feature, then I want to make it clear that, getting a double-check mark doesn’t mean the recipient has Read the message, it only indicates that message has been delivered.

When this grey coloured double-check mark turns into blue colour, now it means that user has read the message.

However there is a little difference between Android and iPhone Read Receipt notification system. This can be explored more on WhatsApp updated FAQ

How to know message has been Read on WhatsApp Android app:

If you are still confused how to know a sent message has been read on recipients end, then let me make it clear that on a WhatsApp Android app, you will notice two blue check marks next to a sent message, which is actually an notification that the recipient has read the message.

Of-course everyone knows the “Last Seen” feature of WhatsApp indicates that at what time a user has last opened the app, but this blue check marks are more specific in telling about the message read indication.

But in a group chat, the second check marks will appear when all participants in the group have received your message. The two blue check marks will appear when all participants in the group have read your message.

How to know message has been Read on WhatsApp iPhone/iOS app:

There is no blue check mark indication on a WhatsApp iPhone app, alternatively, you can long press on a message to access a short menu on screen, which shows “Info” option to check if message has been read or not, detailing the times when the message was received and read.

This is the only indication that can be seen on a iPhone WhatsApp application to get the Read Receipt, there is no blue tick mark available yet on iOS/iPhone app. But this blue tick feature is expected to land soon on iPhone WhatsApp. The long press on a  message to get “info” ticker feature is also available on WhatsApp Android app.

WhatsApp Free VOIP Calling Feature will come soon

In an another leaked news, the long awaited WhatsApp to WhatsApp Free calling feature, which will be a VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) feature, has been spotted on a website and now it is expected that this calling feature will come soon to WhatsApp. There is no specific time given by Facebook about it, but it looks in the pipeline and will be expected in early 2015.

The WhatsApp voice calling feature still had several technical issues to overcome like many WhatsApp users in emerging markets are still on 2G and low quality networks, so they have the challenge to implement the voice calling service in poor data coverage areas, that’s why this feature is getting delayed.

Let’s hope to get this free voice calling feature on WhatsApp very soon.

If you don’t have the WhatsApp installed on your smartphone, then you can download WhatsApp for iPhone here and for Android from here.

WhatsApp Messenger for Android, iPhone updated with Read receipts