Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
- The latest beta version of Signal includes features that will make anyone who left WhatsApp feel more at home.
- Among other additions, there is a new feature to set independent wallpapers for all your chats.
- You will also find an option to set a status update and support for stickers.
Just over a week after a flow of fleeing WhatsApp users took him off the air for most of the day, Signal is doing its best to prevent these individuals from returning to the Facebook chat app. Its last beta release, which was identified by WABetaInfo, adds a number of features, all of which should be familiar to you if you are one of those people who left WhatsApp after it announced its disastrous change in privacy policy.
To start, you’ll find a new option to set independent wallpapers for all your chats. This is a fun personalization feature that is part of a variety of messaging apps, not just WhatsApp. It was notably absent in Signal, where its customization options were limited to choosing between light and dark modes. Another new personalization feature allows you to write a brief status update that others can see when they are browsing your contact lists. Signal has some suggestions like “Free to chat” and “Take a break” to help you get started.
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Another novelty in this update is support for animated stackers and Signal’s first sticker pack, “Day by day”. A corresponding update for the desktop client allows you to create your own stickers, which you can share with your friends and family.
On the practical side of things, the update introduces a low data mode for calls and an option that allows you to define a destination for files to be downloaded automatically. You’ll also find a new feature that allows you to send shareable group chat invitations to your friends. Finally, Signal has enhanced its group calling functionality so that you can now include seven other people in a call, instead of just five in total.
Again, all of these are features you’ll find in other chat apps, not just WhatsApp. But if you are one of the people who left WhatsApp for Signal, they should help you feel more at home.