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WhatsApp Rolls Out 'Mentions' And GIF Support On iOS And Android

'Mention' is a feature where you can tag someone in a group conversation
Jonathan Brady/PA WIRE

WhatsApp has rolled out two major features, 'mentions' and GIF support, in the messenger's iOS and Android apps.

'Mention' is a nifty new feature where you can tag someone in a post in a group chat. This works like any other social network mention such as Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

In a group chat if you press '@' you will see a list of people that are present in the group. You can tag them in your message and a notification will be sent to them.

WhatsApp

To make chats more engaging, WhatsApp introduced a quote/reply feature where you can reply to a particular message by long pressing it.

The mention feature only works on iOS and Android apps, it hasn't yet been implemented on the web. Also there is this slightly annoying bug -- when you are mentioned in a group, you will always see your number after the '@' because the app doesn't have your name in your own list of contacts.

For instance, your name is John and your mobile number is +91 9119119119 you will always see your mention as @+91 9119119119 rather than John. (Others in the group, who have your number saved will see your name, however.)

In another update, animated GIFs are now supported by both the mobile apps. The feature was in the beta versions for quite some time. There is no dedicated button to add the GIF in the chat though, you have to use the image button.

WhatsApp's update comes in the back of a controversial few weeks. The world's biggest messaging app had announced that it will be sharing some of the user data to its parent company, Facebook. There was much protesting on the Internet in response to this announcement.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.