WhatsApp Adds an Option to Disable Blue Ticks, Here’s How You Can Get it!

Last week WhatsApp introduced ‘read receipts’ in the form of two blue ticks, letting users know if their message or picture had be seen by their chatting partner.

However, it seems that this wasn’t a universally popular move and WhatsApp is now introducing the option to disable this feature if they want to keep the nagging out of their conversations.

It’s only available to Android users who have downloaded the new beta version of the app (whatsapp.com/android), but those that have can go to Settings > Privacy > and disable the ‘Read Receipts’ option to banish the blue ticks when you read other people’s messages.

Here’s Why Your Whatsapp Arrows(Double Checks-Ticks) Started to Turn Blue!

Are you surprised why your whatsapp arrows (Ticks) started turning blue suddenly today? Here’s why!

New WhatsApp update for iOS & Android tells you when the person has read your messages by making the arrows turn blue.

So the Whatsapp Hide Last Seen feature is now useless since you can know when someone reads your message!

NOTE: You do not need to update the app to receive the feature. Changes will apply automatically within the app.  The update is still rolling out. It’s not available to all users yet, so be patient!

WhatsApp reaches 500 Million users!

Popular IM service WhatsApp has reached the 500 million users milestone. And it’s not just the total number of users the service has but active users who use the service regularly.

This comes shortly after the company was acquired by Facebook, although WhatsApp had a healthy 450 million users at the time of acquisition. The majority of the growth comes from countries like Brazil, India, Mexico, and Russia, with India alone having 48 million WhatsApp users.

One of the reason the service is so popular in developing nations is sheer number of platforms the service is available on, which includes iOS, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, Symbian and S40, unlike many other services that are only available on iOS and Android.

The service has remained unaltered since the Facebook acquisition and is expected to remain that way.

Facebook is buying WhatsApp for $19 billion!

Facebook has announced this afternoon that it has reached a deal to acquire WhatsApp, the makers of the popular cross-platform messaging app, for a staggering $16 billion. That’s $4 billion in cash and approximately $12 billion in Facebook shares.

The social network says that WhatsApp will continue to operate independently after the acquisition, but claims the deal with WhatsApp—who has nearly 500 million users—”accelerates Facebook’s ability to bring connectivity and utility to the world.”

From the press release:

“Facebook today announced that it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire WhatsApp, a rapidly growing cross-platform mobile messaging company, for a total of approximately $16 billion, including $4 billion in cash and approximately $12 billion worth of Facebook shares. The agreement also provides for an additional $3 billion in restricted stock units to be granted to WhatsApp’s founders and employees that will vest over four years subsequent to closing.

The acquisition supports Facebook and WhatsApp’s shared mission to bring more connectivity and utility to the world by delivering core internet services efficiently and affordably. The combination will help accelerate growth and user engagement across both companies. 

“WhatsApp is on a path to connect 1 billion people. The services that reach that milestone are all incredibly valuable,” said Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder and CEO. “I’ve known Jan for a long time and I’m excited to partner with him and his team to make the world more open and connected.”

The company also provided some WhatsApp growth stats:

• Over 450 million people using the service each month;
• 70% of those people active on a given day;
• Messaging volume approaching the entire global telecom SMS volume; and
• Continued strong growth, currently adding more than 1 million new registered users per day.

Additionally, Facebook says that it will be paying WhatsApp a $1 billion break-up fee if the acquisition some how falls through, and it will be hosting a conference call at 3PM PST today to discuss further details. You can listen in on that call by clicking here.

Admittedly, $16 billion (potentially $19 billion) sounds like a crazy amount for a messaging app—especially compared to the $3 billion that Facebook reportedly offered Snapchat last year. But not many services boast an active user base of half-a-billion.

It’ll be interesting to see what comes of this. If you want to see what WhatsApp is all about, you can find it in the App Store here.

Viber 4.0 arrives with push-to-talk, Viber Out, Sticker Market, tweaks and more

Viber has just released an update to version 4.0, introducing the revenue-generating sticker market for the very first time, as well as adding some new features and platform support.

Along with the new sticker market, which has grown from 50 free stickers to a collection of more than 300 stickers priced at $1.99, Viber is also adding a push-to-talk feature, much like what Boost Mobile was doing in all those “(Chirp) Where You At?” ads.

However, Viber claims to be using special technology that minimizes the time spent waiting between voice messages. Rather than record, send, download, and play (taking around 45-60 seconds for an average 15 second voice message), Viber push-to-talk does the recording, sending and playing all at once to turn around voice messages in four to six seconds.

While less technologically impressive, Viber’s new sticker market is an important product for the company, as it marks the first time Viber has added a paid feature to the free calling and messaging app. There are over 1,000 stickers that are ready for release in the market, though CEO Talmon Marco plans to unveil more and more over time, starting with around 300.

Approximately half of them are licensed from third parties, including cartoons and TV shows, while the other half are created by a team of 20 designers from all around the world. Viber does not disclose the revenue split for licensed material.

Of course, Viber has other potential routes for monetization as well, including call termination (a business the company has been experimenting with) as well as Viber Out.

Viber Out is a premium feature that lets users call any phone number (even non-Viber users). The company unexpectedly debuted ahead of schedule to participate in the relief effort in the Philippines, letting people hit by the Typhoon dial out to any number for free.

Along with push to talk and the launch of the sticker market, Viber is also bringing the app to Android tablets, offering similar functionality to the desktop app. Android tablet owners can message and take calls, switching back and forth from tablet to phone with one button.