The cross-platform mobile messaging app WhatsApp has been quietly updated this week, this time for Symbian S60 and Symbian^3 devices bringing two new features:
- allowing users to enjoy group chat, and
- the user block facility, which allows you to block someone’s message who is maybe not in your address book or even one of your other contacts.
Lets look at some important notes with regards to the group chat:
- Currently limited to 5 people, but this will change in the near future.
- You can exit a group chat that you are in at any time: simply delete the group conversation from the main Chats window to do that.
- You can control group chat alerts and notifications separately from individual messages.
For those unfamiliar with this app, WhatsApp is a mobile messenger that replaces ordinary SMS and works through the existing internet data plan of your device. The app is also available for iPhone, BlackBerry and Android devices so even if your friends or family don’t have a Symbian device, they can install the app on their mobiles and you will be able to chat to each other via the app. Running in the background by default, you are notified with notifications both for personal and group messages.
In addition to basic messaging, users can send each other unlimited images, video and audio media messages as well as their location using the device’s GPS.
The WhatsApp service is free for the first year! During, or after the free one year trial period you can purchase the service for $1.99 USD/year.
For more information, head over to http://www.whatsapp.com/ and to download the updated Symbian version, just click here.