3 Things everyone hates about WhatsApp

Whatsapp is said to be the most widely used instant messaging application outside Asia and it’s interesting to note that whilst it’s probably the most widely used IM you would swear it has no downsides or has atleast given users more freedom around security and privacy but NO 🙁 below is a list of 3 things we don’t like about Whatsapp and options we wish the IM had to make the user experience close to great.

Adding friends

I hate how everyone who has my numbers can automatically add me.Obviously I am not saying I miss the Mxit days but I am simply saying there is nothing as irritating as the inability to determine who can connect with you and how. Whilst some people can argue that you have the option to block people, a lot of people I have blocked have either resurfaced on a new number which either embarrassed me because people I blocked asked me the question “Why did you block me” or I felt infringed further by the same people I am trying not to connect with forcing themselves into my life without my consent. Blocking all the time can be a daunting task. Imagine how  a simple friend request would simplify things.

Online Activity

I hate how I can not choose when I want to be visible and when I just need sometime to talk to that one person whether my friend , gf , or mother without having to chat with the whole world or give people that excuse  I dread the most “Sorry I am busy now let’s talk later” It would be nice to have a feature that allows one to be invisible (Take a leaf from Skype already) . Whilst some will argue that there is a ” hide last seen activity” this feature is only useful if you not active on Whatsapp

Message Read

As if things have not been worse already, Whatsapp introduced a new feature which allows one to see when their message has been read by showing two blue ticks. This feature should be optional to the sender (Even outlook makes it optional to confirm receipt of email! I mean these options are necessary and key!)

I am still yet to see products that are entirely build and reflective of consumers needs .A decade ago one would have argued that  the features and functions we have on products  in our midst are reflective of the existing technology and how much far it allows us to go but it’s 2014 people! The friend request feature is already on every BBM and every social network  (Facebook and Twitter). The Online Activity feature  is already on Skype . The freedom to decide on confirming receipt of a text or not is already on outlook! So why the hell is it so difficult to see that users want more control and freedom to decide what they share and how they share it. For an application that is not keen on advertising inside chats why not offer these options as premium features? I would pay extra/something to have the user experience that is reflective of my requirements and use of IM.