Oh, you wish there was just one true cross-platform messaging app, don’t you? Oh hang on there is, and it’s called SMS. SMS has been truly cross-platfrom and also operating-sysem neutral for the past, I don’t know, 30 years. Yet no one seems to have grown the service, apart from increasing the character length allowed in messages, that is. Don’t even get me started on MMS, or picture messaging.
I’ve now got a folder on my device of different apps for messaging. I think the total now stands at 7. 7 different apps to send people a message. Then, to make things even better, I’ve got to try and remember which contact prefers which app, madness. I downloaded Google’s latest offering, Allo, and up to now, only me and my wife are using it out of my entire list of contacts (and I had to install it on her phone).
Anyway, rant over. I want to tell you about some updates that are coming to one of the current most popular messaging services; WhatsApp.
Once updated, there will be options to draw on photos and videos, and the ability to include emoji (very SnapChatish). The native WhatsApp camera now supports front-facing flashes, and the camera controls have been updated to bring them in line with other messaging apps. Double tapping swaps between your phone’s front and rear camera, and swiping up and down will zoom while you’re capturing videos.
If you’re an Android user, you can try the new features right away once the download hits your device, and they should be coming to iOS “soon.”