The developers of WhatsApp have released a new update for Windows Phone and Windows 10 Mobile. This latest version, number 2.16.256, doesn’t bring major changes to the app, nonetheless there are some new features along with the usual bug fixes and performance improvements. The changelog has not been provided, so we are not able to see if there are going to be many new features, but one change is already available. We are talking about the Camera Button which is now available on the Chat Page. You can download this latest version of WhatsApp for Windows Phone straight from the Microsoft Store using this link.
As we said, this latest update doesn’t bring major changes, but it comes just after a few days from the release of the last one, which added some important features such as:
- GIF Support (and the ability to send videos as GIFS);
- OneDrive BackUp (you can find it going to Settings–>Chats & Calls–>Backup–>OneDrive settings);
- Ability to forward messages and images to multiple contacts or groups;
- Ability to share images from gallery with multiple contacts or groups.
By now, everybody knows that WhatsApp is one of the most successful instant messaging app in the world, with over one billion active users. This Facebook-owned service is now used everywhere in the world to keep in touch with friends, family and colleagues for free and, most important, it’s become a powerful way to share and spread news all over the world.
That’s why some goverments try to limit or even prevent its use. And what happened last Sunday during the election day in Montenegro showed once again the importance reached by the app. During the country’s parliamentary election, WhatsApp and Viber were blocked for several hours because, according to the authorities, “unlawful marketing” was being spread through the networks. It was the regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Postal Services itself to order telecom operators to ban the use of these two popular instant messaging apps.
Obviously this decision has created negative critics and reactions all over Europe. Telenor, a Montenegrin local operator, tried to explain the blocking order through some tweets, saying that “The Agency for Electronic Communications and Postal Services ordered all telecommunication operators to turn off the option to use the applications Viber, WhatsApp and the like, which were used today for unwanted communication with the users. The possibility for use of these services will be turned off until the Agency determines an end of the ban with a special notice.”