Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Chronicle Live
Chronicle Live
World
Sam Elliott-Gibbs & Aaron Morris

WhatsApp makes four massive changes for Android users - but iPhone owners will have to wait

Instant messaging (IM) service WhatsApp has launched several new features - but if you're an iPhone user, you're in for a little wait before you can start making the most of them.

At present, that's because the changes are exclusively available to Android users, with Apple device owners waiting for a future update to the platform.

The makeover for the app will see customers be able to add captions when sending documents, as well as personal avatars landing in a fun new feature.

Read more: WhatsApp warning with five major changes coming that will affect every user

The Mirror reports that there will also me more lengthy descriptions allowed on group chats going forward. Now, there will be less limits, and you can send up to 100 photos and videos at one time, but some users have complained that they don't yet have the ability to use them.

They are advised to wait for the next update - but iPhone fans aren't yet sure when they'll kick in. Earlier this week, Apple users were urged to install the latest update, fixing a number of bugs and issues. The updates have been rolled out on the majority of their devices - iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Watch and HomePods.

The new software deals with bugs and secuirty loopholes so people with Apple products are being urged to update them as soon as possible. Apple computers should be updated to MacOS13.2.1, the latest version of Ventura, which includes a fix for a security flaw found in Safari, the read-installed web browser.

The bug allows anyone to run their own code by exploiting a loophole, the company said. The company also said they are 'aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited' - meaning that hackers may already know how to use it.

he new update will fix this problem because of 'improved checks', Apple said. A similar update is available for people using older versions of MacOS as well.

The iPhone update fixes bugs in iCloud and Sire. Importantly it also brings in “optimisations” to the crash detection feature which arrived with the iPhone 14 models and the latest Apple Watch.

Crash Detection is a feature that can detect when the user has been in a crash and automatically calls emergency services. People with the devices where this was installed reported emergency calls being made while on rollercoasters and other rides.

More recently it has been reporting the feature has activated during winter sports, for example when people fall over when skiing. The update introduced by Apple is intended to make sure Crash Detection only triggers after a real car crash.

Although it relies on hardware inside the phones, Apple are changing the algorithm that checks that data.

Read next:

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.