14 DAY TRIAL // WhatsApp received an important update last week and many users were displeased by one of the features the new version brought into the mix.
The fact that one would be able to tell when the recipient has read the message sent is not something that people who care about privacy would agree with.
Unfortunately, WhatsApp’s engineers thought otherwise and introduced the ability to see when someone has read your message without the option to disable such a feature that many considered an invasion of their privacy.
The so-called blue check marks that pop up after the message sent is read suddenly became an omen for one of the most popular instant messenger applications available on the market.
A few days after the update made it to Android, BlackBerry, and iOS platforms, rumors on a new version that would introduce a new option meant to disable the blue check marks hit the Internet.
Developers introduced the new feature in the beta version of WhatsApp, but no announcement was made. Currently, the final version of the application containing the new option to disable “read receipts” has been released but it’s only available through developer’s website.
The updated version adds an entire Privacy section where you can find the “Read receipts” option that you must leave unchecked if you don’t want your friends to know when you read their messages.
The new version adds some visual changes for Lollipop devices as well
However, you won’t be able to tell when your messages are read by the recipients either, so it’s a compromise you will have to make if privacy matters so much to you.
Keep in mind though that the Group chats won’t be affected by the new option, which means that those engaged in a conversation will always know when you read their messages.
But this doesn’t seem to be the only new feature developers included in the latest version for WhatsApp for Android. The folks over at AndroidPolice report that many users who run Android 5.0 Lollipop on their phones have noticed that the new update adds “heads-up notifications.”
Moreover, the profile photos are now shown in circles on devices powered by Android 5.0 Lollipop instead of showing in up in squares as they were displayed in previous versions.
If you own an Android smartphone and wish to update to the newest version of WhatsApp Messenger (2.11.44), you will have to head over to the developer’s website or wait a while longer until it gets released in Google Play Store.
