So far, WhatsApp has not been suitable for exchanging large files with each other. But that has now come to an end, because Messenger has increased the limit for file sizes. There are also innovations in group chats
Photos, music, videos – if you wanted to share large amounts of data via WhatsApp, you quickly hit the limit. Because the exchange of files with Messenger was limited to a size of 100 MB for a long time. But WhatsApp has increased the data limit and now allows the sharing of files up to 2 GB in size. The maximum number of participants in group chats has also increased.
WhatsApp increases data limit to 2 GB
In March, the messenger started a test phase in Argentina. There, selected WhatsApp beta testers could already try out the higher data limit with Android smartphones or iPhones. Now the data upgrade is also coming to us – and it’s official: in future WhatsApp will no longer only allow files, images and videos up to 100 MB to be sent, but up to a whopping 2 GB.
For example, 2 GB corresponds to a complete film in good HD quality or a larger photo collection. The data limit applies to each sent WhatsApp message. With the introduction of the new upper limit, large amounts of data can now be sent via WhatsApp. However, this could also lead to problems, since, for example, sending illegal copies becomes easier.
Also read: What data can I send via WhatsApp?
Group chat updates and introduction of emoji reactions
Over time, WhatsApp has kept increasing the maximum number of people in a group chat. Up to 100 members were previously allowed, then the number was increased to 256. Now there is another upgrade with which up to 512 participants can be added to a group. The new upper limit should also be of interest to companies, studies or other large groups that communicate via WhatsApp.
A third point that should be of interest to many users, in addition to the new data limit and group participants, is the introduction of reactions in WhatsApp chats. As known from other messengers, these come in the form of emojis. Instead of sending a single emoji as a separate message, WhatsApp users can now respond directly to a message, with the response appearing in the form of the chosen emoji above the message. Six emojis are available to users at launch, with more to follow.
The update is available for both Android and iOS. However, since the rollout is being rolled out in waves, it may take some time for the new WhatsApp version to reach all users.