WhatsApp today introduced a feature that allows users to create groups through the instant messaging app without giving them a name. This is an update to the existing method that requires users to provide a group name during the creation process.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the update on his Facebook page and the Meta Instagram channel. In a screenshot shared by Zuckerberg, one of the groups is named "Rocco & Li-Chen".
This feature helps users to create groups even if they haven't decided on a topic yet or need to create a group quickly.
Unlike traditional WhatsApp groups, which can accommodate up to 1,024 participants, the messaging app has confirmed that anonymous groups are limited to six participants.
The company says it dynamically names groups based on who adds them, as each participant has a different group name based on how contacts are stored on the phone.
The app states that when you join an anonymous group whose members have not saved your phone number in their contacts, your phone number is visible in the group name.
This indicates that the feature is likely to target friends and family who know each other. The company plans to roll out the new feature globally on Android, the web, iOS, and macOS in the coming weeks.
Although it's a simple feature, sometimes it can be useful to not have to name each group chat when sending a group message for a single event.
The new WhatsApp update comes days after the messaging app added support for high-resolution images. The app, which has more than 2 billion users worldwide, said it is working to support HD videos in the near future.
In recent weeks, WhatsApp has added features to its app such as screen sharing for video calls and the ability to record and share short video messages.