WhatsApp for Android: the new 2.16.155 version has been released

wa for android beta 2 16 155WhatsApp users are well aware that their favourite instant messaging app is constantly changing, and that WhatsApp developers almost every day release an updated version of this multi-platform mobile messaging app. Of course you are not forced to instantly upgrade your device but, in order to have WhatsApp running smoothly on your smartphone, it is strongly recommended to install the latest updates as soon as you can.

That said, today we are going to talk about the last updated version that has just been released for Android devices. This new 2.16.155 version of WhatsApp for Android, which can be installed on all Android smartphones and tablets doesn’t bring any new features, but bug fixes and performance improvements. This latest APK weighs about 28.71MB and its build number is 451245. This new 2.16.155 version is already a stable release, so you will be able to download it straight from the Google Play Store. Furthermore, being a stable release, it should be bug-free.

Whether you are an avid WhatsApper or not, there are some tricks that can help you to further enjoy the app on your Android device. Let’s recap some of them. For example, did you know that you can hide the blue ticks? These marks can be really annoying when you can’t (or don’t want) to reply instantly to someone. Well, you can turn them off simply going to Settings > Account > Privacy > Untick Read Receipts. But remember, when using this option you won’t receive read receipts for your messages either.

Another interesting option allows you to mark chats as unread. To use this feature you just have to: long press the chat, open the Menu and mark it as unread. Now, if you are part of several groups, you might prefer to hide your profile picture because there is the possibility that you don’t know every contact in the group. In that case you will be able to choose who can see your profile picture: everyone, only your contacts or no-one. To use this option just go to Settings > Account > Privacy > Profile Photo.Easy, isn’t it?

If you receive ton of messages, it might be useful to bookmark the more important ones. So grab your Android device and go to Chats > Specific chat > Specific message > hold down and press the star.

And these are just a few of the useful option that WhatsApp offers and that we often forget to use. So, keep your device updated and enjoy WhatsApp!

WhatsApp for Vodafone 785

The Vodafone 785 smartphone was released in 2014 and comes in a classic design with Android version 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. It has a touch screen, 4.1GB of internal memory and a MicroSD max 32 GB memory card. The phone also has 512 MB of RAM. It runs on GSM/HSPA technology and has a 4.0” display screen with a resolution of 400×800 pixels. The device’s camera features GEO tagging and 3.15 MP. The battery life has up to 8 hours of talk time (2G and 3G) and comes with a removable Li-Ion 1400 mAh battery.

Vodafone 785

If you’d like to download the WhatsApp messaging service to this mobile phone type you can with these easy step-by-step instructions:

Most phones with an Android operating system, internet connection and working SIM card are capable of using WhatsApp messaging service. Although the Vodafone 785 device does come with an Android version higher than 2.1 which agrees with WhatsApp compatability guidelines, you must also be able to receive calls or SMS in order to successfully run WhatsApp.

This is due to WhatsApp’s verification process. Also to receive WhatsApp messages at any time you must have a suitable data plan to allow connectivity when outside of a WiFi connection range. WiFi-only smartphones are not supported by WhatsApp.

Step 1:
Visit the WhatsApp official website on your mobile phone browser to download the installer file. The direct address for this is https://www.whatsapp.com/download/. Alternatively you can also download the file from Google Play by typing in the term “WhatsApp”. In both instances you will be directed to the download page in Google Play.

Step 2:
After downloading the icon will appear on your phone desktop. Click on it to open. Now agree to the WhatsApp terms of service.

Step 3:
Verify your phone number. This is done by entering your phone number when prompted. Remember to not add any additional zeros as the country code will automatically populate when you select your country of residence. Again, you must be able to receive text messages or SMS for this to work. If your SMS service is poor it may take up to 10 minutes for the message to come through.

If the text message ultimately fails you will receive a prompt to verify your phone number through voice verification. This is done by clicking on the “Call Me” option. With voice verification WhatsApp will call you so that you can enter the six digit code that you hear.

Step 4: Type in a user name that you would like members to see when sending them a message. You can change this later so not much thought need to be put into it.

Step 5: You’re done! WhatsApp should be successfully installed on your phone. WhatsApp will automatically add your contacts to the Contacts List. If you would like to add someone simply add them to your phone contacts like you ordinarily would do and then refresh your Contacts List in WhatsApp by clicking “Menu” and “Refresh” inside the app.

WhatsApp for Windows Phone: the new 2.16.108 version is now available for download

wa for wp 2 16 108A new version of WhatsApp is already available for Windows Phone users. This latest 2.16.108 version confirms the updates introduced in beta phase, and now users with Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 can enjoy some new features,

If you have downloaded the previous version, it is important that you upgrade your device as soon as you can with this latest update, since it fixes the bugs which have been found in versions 2.16.102 and 2.16.106. In fact, unfortunately, many of you who were using these previous versions of WhatsApp for Windows Phone, have had the unpleasant experience to see the app freeze whenever they were trying to use the multi-select feature.

Luckily the developers of WhatsApp have immediately found the solution, and this latest 2.16.108 version solves this problem. And, more important, this new version of WhatsApp for Windows Phone not only brings these important bug fixes and performance improvements, but, as we said, confirms the addition of some nice new features brought by the previous versions.

For example the quoted messages feature. This new option enables you to copy and paste previous messages in a new one, adding your text below them. Nice and useful. Or the improved image picker, which makes it much easier for users to access and attach images within the app. Not to mention the users interface which has been finally revamped.

How can you install this latest 2.16.108 version of WhatsApp on your Windows Phone? There are two easy ways. The first one is through the Microsoft Store app, which you can find on your Windows Phone. Otherwise you can open the web browser on your phone, type microsoft.com/en-us/store/apps and then look for WhatsApp Messenger. At this point you just have to select “Get the app” . After that, in order to install the app on your phone, you simply have to follow the instructions.

The difficult relationship between WhatsApp and politics

whatsapp and politicsIt’s not a secret that with its one billion users WhatsApp is the most used instant messaging app in the world. We use it every day to communicate with our friends, family, colleagues, and it is safe to say that the app is rapidly changing our lives. WhatsApp is also a powerful way to spread news, and today the app is used around the world for many purposes.

For example, in some countries people use WhatsApp to let the world know about their lack of freedom, or to seek help in emergency. But the present scenario is quite complicated, and many governments often try to ban WhatsApp (we already talked about this on this blog), and the introduction of the end-to-end encryption has even worsened the situation. To give you an idea, let’s see what happened just in the last few days.

Zimbabwe
Last Wednesday WhatsApp has been blocked all over the country. People blamed the government, which instead replied that the service was inciting people to protest. Supa Mandiwanzira, Minister for Information, Communication Technology and Courier Services, strongly denied that the government was involved in the block of the service, adding that it could have been simply a problem of the network. That’s what he said: “I as minister and on behalf of the government have resisted these demands because we see their value to Zimbabweans. So there is no basis that I as minister or government will work up to ban them when we are on the forefront of denying the request by operators. We know there are elements, very few of them, who abuse the platform but they must not be allowed to spoil its very good use by the majority of citizens”. Despite what the government said, citizens decided to carry on their protest and did not go to work.

Brazil
In Brazil the situation is particularly crucial and controversial, because this is one of the countries where WhatsApp is used the most. So, what happened? In May a judge has ordered Facebook to shut down WhatsApp since the company refused to release data to the government as part of an ongoing drug trafficking investigation. For this reason the government has decided to freeze $6 million from a local bank account of Facebook (WhatsApp doesn’t have any assets in Brazil). Why $6 million? Tech Crunch reported that this sum ($19.5 million Brazilian reais) corresponds to the total amount of fines that WhatsApp accumulated in Brazil for refusing to consent to the government’s demands. In fact in December 2015 WhatsApp was banned in Brazil for a similar reason.

ISIS
And we can’t ignore the obnoxious usage that ISIS is doing of WhatsApp. The Islamic State (Isis) instead of banning WhatsApp, is using it to sell women, some of them extremely young (12 years old). An activist (on the condition of anonymity) told Associated Press that the militants post advertisements with pictures of the women with a price tag for each, along with the names of the women’s “owners”.

The growth of WhatsApp around the world seems unstoppable, and with it, of course, there will be several downsides.

WhatsApp for Android: the new 2.16.150 Beta version finally brings drawing features

whatsapp for android drawing featureHere we are again, talking about a new feature added to our beloved WhatsApp. As we know, WhatsApp developers do a very hard work to keep the service at the top, and they constantly release new updated versions of the app. The one we are going to talk about today is the latest 2.16.150 Beta version of WhatsApp for Android devices. So, what changes with this new version of WhatsApp?

First of all, a new, nice feature that allows you to draw has been added. This new option also allows to add some effects to your pictures like arrows, shadows and circles. That’s really, really remarkable, isn’t it? From a more technical point of view, if you download this latest 2.16.150 Beta version of WhatsApp for Android you will also notice that the size has been increased by 27KB and that there are 421 modified files connected to all the functions of the app. Furthermore, some new files have been added and 6 of them are icons. The two related to the new drawing feature are named draw_tool_background_selectedl.xml and draw_tool_background_normal.xml.

That said, let’s see how to install this latest 2.16.150 Beta version of WhatsApp on your Android device. If you already are a Beta Tester, you can download this latest update directly from the Google Play Store. If you are not yet part of the program, you can easily subscribe going to this page and tapping on the “BECOME A TESTER” button. Being a Tester allows you to download all the latest updates straight from the Google Play Store.

You simply have to open the Google Play Store, search for the latest Beta (in this case 2.16.150) and then install it on your Android device. Once the installation is complete, use your mobile phone number to get verified and log again into your WhatsApp account. If for some reasons you are not interested in becoming a Beta Tester, you will always be able to find the latest APK files of WhatsApp on some other sites such as APKMirror.

WhatsApp Policies you should be Aware of

Even though WhatsApp has a reputation as a sort of freewheeling frontier of social media, it does have some rules you should be aware. There are some policies that govern WhatsApp usage even experienced users can run afoul of.

Unfortunately, a lot of people do not realize that these policies exist until they violate them. As with other kinds of social media and online communications, it is possible break the rules without even knowing they exist. Violation of these policies can make it harder to communicate through WhatsApp.

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Some of these practices were set up by WhatsApp itself, others are the creation of the telecoms it transmits through following the policies will enable seamless communication. You can ensure that your messages will get through, if you follow all the proper procedures.

WhatsApp Polices you need to Know About

Some of the most important WhatsApp Polices that you should be aware of include:

  • International Phone Number: If you call a number in another country through WhatsApp you must not use a zero or an exit code. Instead all calls to international numbers must start with a +. This article explains the procedure of making an international phone call through WhatsApp.
  • End-to-End Encryption. Under the new encryption policy announced on April 5, 2016, all messages sent through the newest version of WhatsApp will be automatically encrypted. This means that WhatsApp’s own employees will not be able to read them, and the service will lack the means to decrypt messages. To get end-to-end encryption you will have to download the latest version of WhatsApp messenger from the official website.
  • Blocking. It is possible for any WhatsApp user to block a contact at any time. You can tell if you’ve been blocked if you can no longer see updates to that person’s profile feature. Sorry there is no way to unblock such message. WhatsApp itself will not tell you if you have been blocked, instead you’ll have to learn that on your own. This article will tell you how to block users on WhatsApp if you want to do so.

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  • Group Chat. WhatsApp actually has a very generous Group Chat policy for example you can now add up to 256 people to your chat. You can participate in or create as many group chats as you want. All Group Chats are required to have an admin, if the admin leaves one can be randomly assigned. Something to be aware if, is that you might still receive messages from blocked users if they participate in your group. You will have to ask the group admin to block them or leave the group.
  • United Kingdom calling restriction. Calling to call friends or family in the UK you will have to begin the number with +44, make sure to remove the 0 or thecal will not go through.
  • Mexico-calling restriction. If you call any number in Mexico you will have to add a 1 after the +52 even if you are calling a Nextel number. If you do not add the 1, the call will not go through.
  • Argentina-calling restriction. If you call a number in Argentina you will have to add a 9 between the country code and the area code like this: +529 000000000. You will also have to remove the prefix 15 to call Argentina. All Argentine numbers must be 13 digits in length, or they will not work on WhatsApp.
  • Country-calling restrictions. You must enter phone numbers for specific countries in a specific way in WhatsApp. To see how to enter the number go this webpage and use the Select Country search feature found under details to see how a phone call to a particular country should look. If your number does not follow the pattern, it will not work.

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  • Call policy. If your phone call does not go through on WhatsApp you will have to contact product support at this email: [email protected]. Any technical questions about WhatsApp should be directed to that email as well.
  • Support. If you need help with anything about WhatsApp you will have to submit a request through this form. This will enable you to make an official request for assistance to WhatsApp. You can also make a request through this email: [email protected]. All requests will remain anonymous.
  • Phone-support policy. Contrary to popular belief, WhatsApp does not work with every phone out there. It currently only works with iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Nokia 640, Nokia S60 or Symbian and Windows devices. You can find a full list of operating systems that support WhatsApp here.
  • WhatsApp Web. Currently the only way to access WhatsApp via a computer such as a desktop or tablet is through WhatsApp Web. You can download that solution from this webpage.
  • Advertising policy. WhatsApp famously does not sell advertising to protect the privacy of its users. WhatsApp founders Brian Acton and Jan Koum made this clear in this very famous blog post. Users should be aware that this policy is more of a corporate philosophy than an official set of rules, so there are no formal policies against advertising in place on WhatsApp.

“At WhatsApp, our engineers spend all their time fixing bugs, adding new features and ironing out all the little intricacies in our task of bringing rich, affordable, reliable messaging to every phone in the world,” the founders wrote.

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  • Commercialization policy. Even though WhatsApp has a policy against advertising, Mark Zuckerberg; the CEO of its parent company Facebook, is committed to commercializing the service. The man behind the Social Network has not made specifics available but he made this Facebook post on February 1, 2016:

“Next, we’re going to work to connect more people around the world and make it easier to communicate with businesses.”

That indicates WhatsApp could soon become a business or commercial solution. It also means that business specific products and solutions such as a digital wallet could soon be added to WhatsApp.

  • Free policy. Many people have noticed that WhatsApp is now free, Zuckerberg, Acton and Koum dropped the 99¢ fee for downloading the App to increase usage. That makes the service free to everybody to use to facilitate communications.

Something that every user should be aware of is that WhatsApp’s policies could change at any time. That means you should carefully watch WhatsApp’s website and the media for any news of changes.

WhatsApp for Windows Phone: the new 2.16.106 version brings more new features

whatsapp for windows phone stable version quoted messagesAfter the last couple of beta versions, today we are going to talk about the latest stable version of WhatsApp for Windows Phone that has just been released. It is an interesting update, and brings some useful changes. The first good news about this latest 2.16.106 version is that it is already available from the Windows Store. It means that every user will be able to update the app on his/her own device, since this is not a beta testers version.

That said, let’s see what actually changes with this latest 2.16.106. version of WhatsApp for Windows Phone. This new version of the app, along with the usual bug fixes and performance improvements, brings a couple of new features that we are sure will be really enjoyed by the many users of the app. So, the first change is the quoted messages feature, which enables users to reply to a message via quotes (yes, you are right, this feature is similar to Twitter Quotes).

The other new feature that has been brought with this latest 2.16.106 version is an improved image picker, which makes it much easier for users to access and attach images within the app. And that’s not all, because also the users interface has been revamped. That’s what WindowsCentral said announcing this improvement:“UI tweaks that make using the app much more bearable, such as moving the send message button to the right of the text box, rather than right above the Start button”.

At this point, you just have to install this latest 2.16.106 version of WhatsApp on your Windows Phone. How? Easy, you can download this latest update straight from the Windows Store.

Even if it is the most successful instant messaging app in the world, the life of WhatsApp is not always a bed of roses, particularly in some countries. One of the most recent issues comes from India, where RTI activist Sudhir Yadav has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) trying to ban the use of WhatsApp. Why? The reason, once again, is the decision of the Facebook-owned company to add end-to-end encryption to all the platforms that support the app.

According to Yadav the end-to-end encryption violates Indian interception laws, therefore allowing terrorists to exchange messages. On Wednesday the Supreme Court dismissed the petition, but it seems that the story hasn’t come yet to an end. The Court, in fact, told Yadav to move his petition to a more appropriate forum that has the authority to rule on the matter. This other forum will probably be the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT). So, let’s see what happen. If Yadav wins his petition, as a consequence the government will certainly impose restrictions on the encryption.