Yep, you’ve read that correctly. From now on you can have group chats with up to 256 people at a time. Can you imagine that? All of those people chatting at once… just think of all the notifications you’ll have of you leave your smartphone down for a few minutes!
WhatsApp groups are practically unavoidable if you use the application: there’s usually one for family, another for work colleagues, one for family matters, and even ones for parents of classmates. Everyone uses them and, because of this, the messaging app has continually increased the number of members allowed per group. At first, group chats were limited to just 15 people, later it increased to 50, then 100, and now it can be as many as 256.
Well, if 256 seems like a lot to you, imagine using Telegram – their App sllows for 1,000 users per group. Madness, no?!
How to silence WhatsApp groups
If these chat groups seem a little overwhelming then you know the solution – you can always silence a chat group for a period of either 8 hours, a week, or even a year, depending on how much it bothers you. So, if you do choose to put a chat on silent, just make sure to check on it every so often in case you’re missing out on some juicy gossip!
Don’t forget that it is also easy for all types of tricks and scams to spread through these chat groups, so be sure to control what you send and be suspicious of what you receive. Most of all, if you get shortened links, surveys, or gift cards sent to you, be very sceptic.
WhatsApp and its 1 billion users
Just this week saw WhatsApp announce that it now has more than 1 billion active users each month. This figure makes it the leader in the mobile messaging market, far ahead of rivals such as Telegram or Line.
What do you think? Will you be capable of managing a group with so many people?
Panda Security specializes in the development of endpoint security products and is part of the WatchGuard portfolio of IT security solutions. Initially focused on the development of antivirus software, the company has since expanded its line of business to advanced cyber-security services with technology for preventing cyber-crime.
