WhatsApp update fixes offline problems for iPhone users

The latest version of the app brings a selection of time- and storage-saving enhancements.

Aatif Sulleyman
Tuesday 24 January 2017 11:53 GMT
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Two of the features have been available for Android users for some time
Two of the features have been available for Android users for some time (iStock)

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WhatsApp is rolling out a new update to iPhone users, which lets them queue up messages when they don’t have an internet connection.

Previously, WhatsApp for iOS would make users wait to regain web access before allowing them to hit the green send button. The app will now automatically fires off the queued messages as soon as a connection has been re-established.

The feature has been available on the Android version of WhatsApp for some time, and comes in particularly handy during train and tube journeys, when signal can be particularly patchy.

Google’s recent update to its search app takes a similar approach, saving queries if you have bad signal and producing results when your internet connection returns.

The WhatsApp 2.17.1 update adds storage management and file-sharing improvements too.

The app has raised the limit on photo- and video-sharing from 10 files at a time to 30 files, as is again the case on Android, and users can also manage storage on a conversation-by-conversation level.

Settings > Data and Storage Usage > Storage Usage will take you to a screen that shows exactly how much space each of your chats takes up.

From there, you can easily free up space by deleting the content you don’t need, with filters allowing you to get rid of specific file types, such as videos, pictures, voice messages, documents, contacts and locations.

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