Author: Leri Koen

Born and raised in South Africa I am the mother of two busy kids and one loving husband. Since leaving school I immediately started working and have been involved in many different industries where I learned a wide range of skills. Some of my skills range from marketing to management and even teaching special needs children, particularly those with severe developmental delays. I am a self-proclaimed holiday nut, taking any chance I can get to decorate and celebrate major holidays such as Easter, Halloween and Christmas, often planning these months in advance! I have a wide range of passions that I persue (as often as I can) such as reading, writing, bonsai, crafting, creating natural beauty products, listening to music and playing games (prefered platforms being PC and Xbox).

Microsoft is reducing its workforce leaving more than 10,000 without jobs

Tech companies are struggling to maintain their workforces after all the changes made during the pandemic. It seems tech giants are laying off staff everywhere you turn. Microsoft is one of the most recent companies to fall victim to the turbulent economy and is planning job cuts to save revenue.

Microsoft is getting ready to announce these cuts formally, and it could happen as early as Wednesday morning. According to Sky News, the tech giant is aiming to reduce its workforce by at least 5%. This effectively means that in a company with 220 000 employees, we’re looking at more than 10 000 people losing their jobs. This number rivals the Meta layoffs from last year which were at around 11 000 employees.

Microsoft plans to reduce workforce by laying off 5%

According to Bloomberg, a number of these layoffs will be from the Microsoft Engineering department. This is in contrast to last year’s layoffs from the tech giant where most employees affected were in consulting and customer and partner solutions. The 5% layoffs are also a vast increase on the 1% that occurred last year.

The announcement comes just days after Microsoft started implementing an unlimited time off policy. This new policy was adapted to be more flexible and provide permanent monthly employees in the US to have an unlimited number of days off. This new policy is being called ‘Discretionary Time Off’ and managers at Microsoft will be able to approve these requests as of January 16th, 2023.

Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, also warned a few weeks ago that the company expects the next two years to be particularly challenging for the technology industry. She went on to admit that Microsoft, as big as the company is, isn’t immune to global changes. She also urged the importance of tech companies being efficient.

Microsoft saw a lot of acceleration during the pandemic and now they’re experiencing normalization after these investments. Not only that but there are already recessions in some parts of the world and serious concerns over the economy in others. This combination of factors, along with others not yet disclosed, are the reasons for these layoffs.

This isn’t a new or shocking occurrence, as we’ve seen many tech companies laying off staff in the last few months. Aside from Meta, Twitter also experienced significant layoffs after Elon Musk took over the company.

Aside from these notorious tech giants, others have also needed to downsize their workforces. Snapchat laid off about 20% of its employees and had to pause some of its projects.

It seems that while these companies managed to adapt to the epidemic, with some even excelling, they are starting to feel the aftermath now. We’ll be keeping an eye on things as the story develops and hope there are ways to mitigate revenue losses in a way that doesn’t affect employees as much.

Tools and Tricks to Generate Impressive Images with AI

AI-driven tools are becoming more commonplace in our everyday lives. Not only are these tools being used to generate ideas and hold conversations, but they can also be used for more complex tasks such as generating images, articles and even checking pieces of code for errors. Its use for generating images has been very popular, both for entertainment purposes as well as business.

Buying stock images or paying for animators or photographers can be very expensive. However, AI-driven image creation tools can create stunning images in a range of styles at a fraction of the cost and time. In fact, it’s so convenient that one creator used AI to write and illustrate an entire children’s book.

So maybe you’re in need of some new images, or you’re just curious about creating AI images. Regardless of your motivation, let’s look at a few important tools, and some simple tricks to start generating impressive AI images.

First, let’s take a look at some of the best AI imaging tools you can consider. Some of the programs on this list were recommended by Javi Lopez on Twitter. He has an interest in AI, and has used many of these programs to create images. Some of the top AI image generators to consider are:

MidJourney
StableDiffusion
DALL-E
Lexica
FaceApp
Diffuse the Rest
MugLife

Now that we’ve covered a few tools that you can use to create stunning text-to-image artwork, we also need to look at some tricks to help take your images to the next level. Since these images are created using AI, the results can sometimes be quite strange. For example, you could upload a selfie and add text phrases such as ‘attractive’ only to find that the face in your generated image is cropped too much, or that a joker-like grin has been added.

One way to eliminate this is by stacking AI tools to create more fascinating images. This means using multiple tools for various aspects of the process. For example, if you’re lacking ideas for images, you can use an AI tool like Lightbulb or Jasper. With these tools, you can upload any inspirational text, such as a blog post, social media post, article, or more. The tool then generates the suggested images – but more importantly, it also provides a starting point for your prompt.

Once you have this basic prompt, you can use a prompt builder to add more details to your prompt for a more detailed and hyper-realistic effect to your AI art. Finally, once you’ve got a good, detailed prompt, you can use your art generator tool to create impressive images.

When it comes to AI tools, prompts are everything. Using the right prompt makes it easy to create impressive images quickly. Whereas, a vague or unclear prompt can lead to some odd or weird images. As such, learning more about prompts and experimenting with the different tools is the best way to unlock the true potential of these AI-driven tools.

10 techniques to help you get ahead with AI-Driven tools

AI or artificial intelligence is starting to form an important part of our day-to-day lives. AI is already playing an active way in how we use and interact with certain websites. For example, have you ever used a website chatbox to get help navigating the website or ask questions? Chances are good that you interacted with a chatbox that uses AI and machine learning to formulate responses.

ChatGPT is one such popular chatbot that’s been launched by OpenAI that users can interact with conversationally. Despite the numerous benefits of using an AI-driven program like this that also uses machine learning, many users are still finding themselves stuck as beginners when using the platform. So, how do you get out of being a beginner and change how you use ChatGPT?

Rob Lennon, an audience growth specialist has looked into various AI-powered writing systems, and he shared 10 techniques to help users get ahead with ChatGPT. We’ll be looking at those techniques to help you lose the beginner tag.

techniques to help you get ahead with AI-Driven tools

The first thing you have to do is make sure you request that the chat box simulates an expert in your field. Now interact and converse with the program and see if you get the required expert responses. You can use this type of prompt to generate content topics for a specific audience.

Next, you want to make sure that the content you create is dynamic and interesting. This can become difficult when we are faced with the conventional narrative. This can make it difficult to see new ways to approach a topic. However, you can use ChatGPT to ask for examples to challenge the conventional narrative. This will provide you with content ideas that will challenge the reader’s assumptions, keeping your content interesting and dynamic.

Use unconventional and open-ended prompts once in a while. This will give ChatGPT a chance to respond in creative and interesting ways you might not have thought of. This also leads to the next strategy, which is using the platform for brainstorming. By asking for unconventional topics or new ways to approach a topic, you can end up with some unique and interesting topics or angles to use.

Make sure that you give the program a chance to familiarize itself with your writing. Do this by feeding it some of your writing and asking it to produce a style guide based on the example you provided. This will give you the exact words to describe your tone and style for future pieces.

To personalize your prompts even more and get better results add in human-written techniques. These prompts can be to use persuasive language or ask questions to transition between headings. Another way to improve the generated content that ties in with the above technique is to ask ChatGPT to write from different perspectives. This will provide more opportunities for content creation and adds depth to your writing.

Next, change up the styles or tones for the requested data to add more variety to your writing. For example, ask for ironic or satirical pieces. You can also ask ChatGPT to write in different formats such as outlines, mind maps, bullet points, and more.

Finally, the last technique you can use to get more out of ChatGPT is to generate content with a clear and understandable goal in mind. When requesting content from the platform, make sure you provide enough context and guidelines for it to create what you want.

ChatGPT is so much more than just a chatbox that simulates a conversation using AI. The platform can be used to generate various texts, tweets, social media content, and many other types of responses. ChatGPT can be used by individuals and businesses alike to boost their content creation activities using AI – but first, you need to know how to get the most from the platform.

Instagram is set to add more features, but is it forgetting its main focus?

Instagram is already facing a significant backlash regarding its proposed changes to its recommendations algorithm. Despite this, the platform has announced new features making their way to Instagram. However, as these new features were announced, we can’t help but wonder if the social media platform is experiencing a bit of an identity crisis.

One of the most notable changes coming to the platform is a new feature called Notes. This is a feature that Meta has strongly considered as a competitor to Twitter. The current chaos at Twitter following Elon Musk’s takeover has led many users to seek alternatives. Meta was considering developing Notes into its stand-alone app. However, they recently decided to release it as an additional feature on Instagram instead.

Notes will allow users to share text updates and emoji-based messages with others. Although this feature is very reminiscent of Twitter, it works differently. With Instagram notes, you select your mutual followers at the top of your inbox, type a message of no more than 60 characters, and then share it. The note will then appear at the top of the inbox of everyone you sent it to for 24 hours. Replies to your note will come through as a DM.

While this isn’t an exact copy of Twitter, we can’t help but wonder if Instagram is straying too far from its original purpose. After all, the app is known as the best image-driven social media platform. Why digress to text-based content now?

This isn’t the only new feature being worked on at the moment. The next feature will affect Stories and is an update to the ‘Add Yours’ feature. The ‘Add Yours’ feature encourages users to participate in certain trends and challenges. The new feature, known as ‘Pass it On’, will enable users to invite specific friends to join in on a challenge. This is a deliberate way that Instagram is fighting another threat from TikTok, where users love doing quirky dance challenges and more.

Instagram is also testing a feature called ‘Candid’. This feature allows users to share in-the-moment activities with only friends who also share a candid. This is a clear replication of a feature of BeReal. BeReal is quickly gaining popularity, especially amongst Gen Z users. Candid will randomly send out a daily notification to remind users to be candid. This feature even goes so far as to mimic BeReal’s dual camera feature.

Many new features are coming to Instagram. However, getting excited is a little hard as these are nothing new, original or innovative. The features currently being developed are all just replications of features from other social media platforms. Not only that, but the inclusion of some of these features doesn’t even ring true to the original goals of the platform. It seems like Instagram may be losing touch with its identity while scrambling to compete with other platforms.

TikTok recommendation algorithm is pushing harmful content onto users

TikTok’s recommendations algorithm has often been praised for its ability to start delivering content sooner than other social media platforms. TikTok attributes some of its fast growth to this algorithm and other aspects that make the app so popular. But a recent study shows that TikTok’s algorithm could be promoting harmful content, especially to younger users.

TikTok has become the fastest-growing social media platform to date. It has grown immensely in popularity in the few short years since its release. It’s grown so much that it’s already de-throned YouTube and is now going for Facebook. Part of this success is attributed to its unique recommendation algorithm, which gets users involved in the app immediately.

When first signing up, TikTok shows the user a ‘For You’ page with a few broad recommendations based on the user’s location, language, device and what’s currently popular. As users start interacting with the platform, the suggestions become more specific. However, a recent study has just shown how dangerous some of these recommendations can be.

TikTok recommendation algorithm is pushing harmful content main

The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) recently researched the recommendations algorithm, and the results were disturbing. The study by the CCDH found that certain users were repeatedly served content related to eating disorders, self-harm, and other harmful topics shortly after joining the platform.

The CCDH tested their theories by creating two accounts each in the US, UK, Canada and Australia, posing as 13-year-olds. One account was just given a female name, whereas the other account was given a female name and a reference to losing weight. The study then monitored the content being served to both accounts within 30 minutes.

Part of the research methodology meant that each account reacted to content regarding body image, mental health and eating disorders by pausing on related videos or liking them. They did not take into account the videos’ intent (positive or negative), as this is very vague.

The results showed some shocking tendencies. One user was shown content that referenced suicide within three minutes of joining. Another account showed eating disorder content within eight minutes of joining TikTok. On average, these accounts were shown videos about mental health or body image every 39 seconds.

The research also showed that the more vulnerable accounts, i.e. the one with reference to losing weight in the user handle, were shown three times more harmful content than the control group. Also, these accounts were shown 12 times more self-harm and suicide-related content.

This study has raised some concerns regarding the platform’s recommendation algorithm. Many are concerned that this promotes hatred of your body and extreme suggestions of self-harm and disordered attitudes toward food. TikTok has responded by saying the study does not reflect real human behavior and that the platform is already doing what it can to make TikTok a safe environment for users.

Some of TikTok’s practices are questionable, however, could they be giving this issue too little concern?

The Witcher 3 gets a next-gen update that transforms the visuals

The Witcher from CD Projekt Red has always been a beautiful game with depth and fantastic storytelling. However, for a game that’s seven years old, the visuals and graphics were due for a facelift. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was given just that in a recent next-gen update. But how will that affect the game?

The next-gen patch is being released today and will be available for free. This patch boosts the game if you’re playing on Xbox Series S/X, Playstation 5 or a high-end PC.

Once the update has been installed, it’ll offer the player two different graphics options. The first focuses on high-end visual effects. This includes ray tracing that drastically improves the lighting in The Witcher 3. This has an amazing effect on the already beautiful open-world landscape in the game. The second option emphasizes performance at 60fps.

Either of these options makes a big difference to the visuals and graphics of the game. The difference is immediately apparent. The game is beautifully detailed, and the lighting makes it possible to ride on horseback to enjoy the views. If only there was a camera mode so you could take full advantage of the beautiful views. Now, you can, as the update includes a photo mode.

Despite its beautiful landscapes, The Witcher 3 has always been a bit buggy, although nowhere near as rough as Cyberpunk 2077. Most of the issues have been addressed. However, some of these bugs are still present, even after the update. Players mentioned that they still experience gravity-defying hair movements and bouncing bodies of slain monsters. Despite these minor issues, the game runs smoothly with the new update.

It should be noted that this is not a full overhaul like The Last of Us. Instead, this is just a next-gen patch. This means that there are a few things that still make the game feel like it was launched a while ago. The wonky character graphics and gravity effects (or lack of) on certain objects can still make the game feel dated.

However, The Witcher 3 is beloved because of its dynamic storytelling and role-playing elements. These are still present and, when combined with the improvements to the graphics, make a big difference. The improved frame rate, smoother controls and fewer technical issues make for a much better gaming experience.

So, if you love The Witcher and want to replay the game, or if you want to try it out for the first time, this next-gen update for The Witcher 3 will leave you wanting more! Luckily Netflix has you covered with more plans for the Witcher franchise and other loved video games, albeit without Henry Cavill. We wonder how that’ll work out for fans that loved the actor’s portrayal of Geralt. CD Projekt Red is also working on new Witcher games among others.

Could LinkedIn step up as an alternative to Twitter?

Amidst all the recent Twitter drama, many users are looking for alternatives to the once-powerful social media app. While a few new platforms are vying for the crown, could it be another established social media platform that actually steps up as an alternative? Why are people hesitant to consider LinkedIn as a replacement for Twitter?

Twitter has fallen on hard times in recent months. Under the leadership of the new CEO, Elon Musk, there’s already been numerous changes, layoffs, tyrannical work expectations, and disagreements over the new vision for the platform. Unfortunately, all of this drama has spilled onto the platform.

Is LinkedIn ready to be the next Twitter

If you use the app now, it’s more than likely that you’ll see news about the continued Twitter drama. You’ll also find numerous Tweets regarding Trump’s comeback. This has started grating on Twitter users, and even some die-hard Twitterati are considering alternatives.

However, the new startups on the scene trying to get their hands on the crown aren’t there quite yet. Mastodon came up as a great alternative, and in many ways, it is. However, Mastodon’s server system is complicated, and posts tend to feel quiet. It’s definitely not abuzz like Twitter usually is. Another new alternative, Hive, is also gaining in popularity; however, it’s prone to crashing.

Another platform that’s come up, to the shock of many, is LinkedIn. While LinkedIn is widely known as a professional business platform, users have noticed a shift in content. LinkedIn used to be a platform used for building up business acquaintances and sharing professional content. The vibe could be described as smug and self-congratulatory.

Posts on LinkedIn are often seen as humble brags and grating morality tales. However, that’s starting to change. As the social media landscape is changing, LinkedIn is also undergoing a transformation. Not necessarily the app itself but more in the ways it’s used. Now, users’ feeds are starting to fill up with real conversations, interesting reads and links to good content, updates from friends and even selfies. Some users are even sharing their wedding photographs on the platform.

Influencers on LinkedIn are also changing. Instead of seeing purely business-related content, some influencers are releasing content that leads to real-life conversations. For example, Nicolas Thompson, the CEO of The Atlantic, shares frequent videos titled ‘The Most Interesting Things in Tech.’ This is an interesting and engaging topic that leads to further discussion and interaction. The move to this type of content shows how LinkedIn is seeping into real-life conversations.

Many of us spend most of our time at work, especially during the week. These aren’t situations that translate well to image-driven platforms like Instagram, TikTok or Snapchat. You can only share so many images of having coffee at your desk. You can’t just start recording a TikTok dance at work? However, as the younger generations flood these image-driven platforms where they can be active, it means that content on these platforms might no longer be relevant to everyone.

You don’t want to be stuck at work and open Instagram or TikTok only to be bombarded by TikTok dances and selfies of someone enjoying a day at the beach. Many can argue that Twitter also shares this type of content, so what’s the difference? The difference is that Twitter is more niche than these image-driven platforms. Twitter is used to comment, share and interact with in-the-moment topics. It’s more like a news platform where users share regular updates on what’s happening in their lives – professionally and personally.

LinkedIn is one of the few platforms alongside Facebook that focuses on relationships first. You can’t just start interacting with a person’s post or make comments and send messages. The person first has to accept you as a contact – similar to Facebook friends. This means that the platform is more than just a fly-by-night job seeker platform.

Individuals who have actively started to use LinkedIn as a replacement for Twitter have made some interesting observations. People who used the platform predominantly for work noticed that it wasn’t only work acquaintances that interacted with them. School friends, family members, and college buddies were reconnecting and commenting on the posts.

This shows that something remarkable is happening in the social media world. LinkedIn is showing that it’s possible to merge your personal and work life into one platform. Instead of using multiple different social media apps to interact with different segments of your life – Linked shows the possibility of doing it all from one platform.

Despite these subtle changes, LinkedIn is still not considered the favorite amongst many users. Some users are only begrudgingly using the platform since their work encourages it. Many still prefer to unwind with something that’s familiar, such as cat videos on Instagram.

So, could LinkedIn be the next Twitter? Possibly. Many individuals are already using the platform for work purposes. Going one step further to start using it for socializing doesn’t seem impossible, and we already see it happening. Twitter already has the infrastructure needed but would need improvements to cement itself as a leading alternative. Is it the perfect replacement? No, but nothing really is.

YouTube releases top trending lists as a stand-in for Rewind

Earlier this week, YouTube Music sent out a Music Recap of 2022. This individualized recap shared your top tracks, artists and summary of your musical journey for the year. This is very similar to Spotify Wrapped. Now, YouTube is also releasing the top trending lists to make up for the Rewind feature that’s no longer available.

The lists released by YouTube include Top Trending Videos of 2022, US Top Songs, US Top Creators, Breakout Creators, and Global Top Ads.

First, let’s look at YouTube’s US Top Trending list. This list considers in-country videos uploaded in 2021. This list excludes Shorts, music videos, trailers and children’s videos. There can also be only one video per creator to ensure fairness. The list of Top US Trending Videos from YouTube is:

Technoblade: so long, nerds
Guardian News: Watch the uncensored moment Will Smith smacks Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars, drops F-bomb
Dream: hi, I’m Dream.
NFL: Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar & 50 Cent FULL Pepsi SB LVI Halftime Show
MrBeast: I Built Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory!
Mark Rober: Pranks Destroy Scam Callers- GlitterBomb Payback
Jaiden Animations: Being Not Straight
Kane Pixels: The Backrooms (Found Footage)
The Try Guys: what happened.
First We Feast: Millie Bobby Brown Needs a Milkshake

Next, let’s take a look at the list of US Top Creators. These results were based on the number of in-country subscribers gained in 2022. This list excludes artists, brands, media companies and children’s content. It also features only one channel per creator. Here is the list of the Top US Creators from YouTube:

MrBeast (114M subs)
NichLmao (18.7 subs)
Airrack (10.7M subs)
Ryan Trahan (11.1M subs)
Isaiah Photo (8M subs)
Brent Rivera (22.3M subs)
Dan Rhodes (18.8M subs)
Luke Davidson (9.31M subs)
CoryxKenshin (15M subs)
Ian Boggs (8.07M subs)

The Breakout Creators list considers in-country subscribers gained in 2022 for channels showing at least a 200% year-on-year growth. This means creators need to have tripled their subscribers within a single year to be considered. The Top US Breakout Creators, according to YouTube, are:

NichLmao (18.7 subs)
Airrack (10.7M subs)
Jooj Natu ENG (6.03M subs)
Shangerdanger (4.03M subs)
David The Baker (2.47M subs)
Kat (5.2M subs)
Dayta (4.39M subs)
Devin Caherly Shorts (3.61M subs)
MDMotivator (4.17M subs)
Charles Brockman III (TheOnly CB3) (2.41M subs)

The US Top Songs list contains songs that debuted or saw significant year-on-year growth in 2022. Candidates for this list included official music videos, lyric videos and user-generated content that uses the full song. Only two songs per artist or album can be considered for the list. The Top US Songs from YouTube include:

Encanto Cast – We Don’t Talk About Bruno
Kodak Black – Super Gremlin
Jessica Darrow – Surface Pressure
Bad Bunny – Tití me preguntó
Future – WAIT FOR U ft. Drake, Tems
Bad Bunny, Chencho Corleone – Me Porto Bonito
Karol G, Becky G – Mamiii
Imagine Dragons x JID – Enemy
Karol G – PROVENZA
Lil Baby – Right On (Official Video)

Finally, the last list that YouTube released is the Global Top Ads. This list is carefully calculated with an algorithm that considers organic and paid views, watch time and audience retention. Only one ad per brand is considered to give a broader view of the leaderboard. The Tob Global Ads for 2022, according to YouTube, were:

These lists have replaced Google’s Rewind, which was discontinued in 2020. The results show an exciting mix of creators and content spread across different niches and markets. It gives us a glance back at the year and what’s been happening within entertainment.

WhatsApp is adding 21 new emoji reactions natively

The instant messaging platform, WhatsApp, is actively working on adding more emojis to the ‘Reactions’ feature unveiled in May. The reaction feature has grown immensely popular, spurring WhatsApp developers to add more emojis to the feature. However, what exactly does that mean?

WhatsApp is working on adding 21 new emojis and overhauling eight existing ones, according to a recent report from WABetaInfo. Those using WhatsApp beta on Android may have already noticed new emojis in the reactions feature. However, since these are still in development, they aren’t available for all beta users. As such, if you run WhatsApp Beta and haven’t noticed the new emojis, don’t worry; they’ll be there with the next update.

The overhauled emojis have already been completed and are available to all beta users. Despite being overhauled, there isn’t much visual difference between the original emojis and the eight overhauled ones. In fact, only two show a notable difference – the Pleading Face and the Face Holding Back Tears.

Whatsapp emojis — Various emoji faces flat icons big set for web design. Cartoon yellow emotion circles icons smiling, laughing and crying isolated vector illustrations. Feeling expression and communication concept

WhatsApp revealed in May, after the release of reactions, that they’re working on adding more emojis and skin tones to the feature, and we’re now starting to see those efforts. The reaction feature was released alongside the Communities feature, which has also seen a few updates since its release.

Reactions aren’t an entirely new feature. Some apps like Skype, Telegram, Slack and iMessage have used this feature successfully for a long while. Even Instagram, which is another Meta-owned platform like WhatsApp, has this feature. In this situation, it seems like the instant messaging app is playing catch up. However, with more than two billion global active users, the app hasn’t suffered much by being late to the game in this regard.

These aren’t the only new features and improvements made by the developers. The update to add more emojis to reactions comes after quite a few other features on the platform. Some of these new features include a new WhatsApp Notes feature, the ability to mute group chats in the WhatsApp desktop version and many others.
We look forward to seeing the new emojis once they’re released to the public. For now, they’re in active development and visible to selected WhatsApp beta users.

Important update coming to WhatsApp Group Chats

In the last few months, we’ve seen several new feature updates for WhatsApp. The developers have worked hard to improve various features and add new functionality to the app. The most recent of these new features will enable users on the WhatsApp Desktop to mute group chats.

In October, WhatsApp received an update allowing users to add polls and surveys to group chats. While this update went somewhat unnoticed at first, since its release, it has grown in popularity, especially in larger group chats. More users are using the feature to add polls to their chats and get input from other group members quickly.

October also saw an update for WhatsApp that significantly increased the size of participants in group chats. This comes after the update that allowed up to 512 participants in a group. This was doubled yet again, meaning that groups can now consist of a maximum of 1’024 participants.

We also saw the introduction of a feature to increase user privacy. This latest feature allows users to set who can see their status. Previously, you could hide your ‘last seen’ notice, but not much else. This feature can be found in your privacy settings and allows users to set who can see their last seen and online statuses, about information, and your profile picture.

In November, WhatsApp finally released the Communities features, which combine the increased privacy features and larger group sizes. These types of groups will also allow admins to wield much more power. This feature allows certain communities to add related groups under a single community umbrella. For example, in your suburban community, you could have different groups related to security, lost pets, neighbors’ support, and more.

Another feature that’s been receiving consistent improvements is the reaction feature. This one enables users to react to a message with a simple emoji without having to type a new message. This one has become increasingly popular since its release, and the new improvements will make it much easier to use and look back on.

The Windows Desktop version is also receiving a complete overhaul and many exciting new features to make it even more useful. The latest feature being worked on for the desktop version is the ability to mute groups and communities. Although this might seem like a straightforward feature, it is a critical one. This will help users avoid distractions and temptations from group chats while at work, driving, or when they need a break.

The chat mute feature for WhatsApp desktop is still in development at the moment, and we should see it released for beta testing soon. However, at the moment, there’s no indication of when it will be released to the public.