You might soon be able to send up to 2GB of files on WhatsApp

• Currently, WhatsApp allows users to share files up to 100MB in size.
• The new 2GB limit is being tested with users in WhatsApp’s beta programme.
• Apart from this, WhatsApp is also testing message reactions, polls and several other features as it looks to compete with Telegram.

Facebook-owned messaging giant WhatsApp is reportedly testing increasing the file size limit on its platform from a meagre 100MB to 2GB as it continues to add new features to compete with Telegram.

According to a report by WhatsApp tracker WABetaInfo, the messaging service is running a limited test in Argentina, allowing select users on the latest beta version of the app to share files up to 2GB in size. This works for both Android and iOS users, but since the test is limited to select users, it is difficult to say the exact qualifying criteria.

WhatsApp could subsequently expand it to other regions with a much wider set of users, but the timeline of the rollout could be in weeks, going by the app’s track record so far.

It would be the second such instance if WhatsApp goes through with the increase in file size limit. Earlier, this limit was just 16MB, which was increased to 100MB subsequently. The limits also vary by platform – for instance, it is 100MB for Android and 128MB for iOS.

Increasing this limit to 2GB is likely to compete with Telegram, which has allowed users to share large files up to 2GB in size for a long time now.

Upcoming WhatsApp features

WhatsApp is also testing and trialing several other new features as it looks to strengthen its feature-set. The most major recent feature is multi-device support, which was rolled out to all users last week. Here are other upcoming WhatsApp features currently under testing:

Group polls

Group polls have been available on Telegram for some time now and it could soon be coming to WhatsApp as well, according to an update by WhatsApp tracker WABetaInfo.

The report states that this feature has been spotted in the latest beta of WhatsApp for iOS. This would allow members in a group to create polls, and the answers will apparently be end-to-end encrypted as well.

Message reactions

Just like you can react to messages with images on Facebook and Instagram, you will soon be able to do that on WhatsApp as well. There will be up to six emojis available to react with, and this feature will be enabled in groups as well as individual chats.

Hide ‘last seen’ from specific contacts

At the moment, you cannot hide your ‘last seen’ from specific contacts – it can be either enabled or disabled for all your contacts.

Soon, WhatsApp could let you disable your ‘last seen’ only for specific contacts, so you can decide to let others see when you were last active on WhatsApp.

No time limit to delete messages

Currently, you can delete your sent messages for only up to 4,096 seconds (a little over 68 minutes), but soon, WhatsApp could let you delete messages for all without any time limit.

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