WhatsApp Expands File-Sharing Options

The latest update to WhatsApp, the Facebook-owned messaging app, will allow users to share any file type.

In version 2.17.40 of WhatsApp, files can be sent uncompressed. However, there will be a limit of 100MB per file.

"You can now send documents of any type. To send a document, open a chat, tap attach – document," the app details in its update description.

More than five photos shared at once will now be displayed in a gallery within the message.

Users should be aware that sending files to other users incurs data costs for the receiver.

The new update, released to iOS yesterday, also allows users to pin chats to the top of the user's contact list. This feature is accessed by swiping right on the chat and selecting the pin icon. Another update allows users to forward or delete multiple photos.

The new features will be available to Android and iOS users when the WhatsApp app is updated.

Earlier this year, WhatsApp hit one billion users worldwide, and introduced an ‘Instagram Stories'-like feature, which allows users to update their status with pictures and videos that disappear after 24 hours.

Rival messaging app Telegram has updated its messaging service and now lets users send ‘disappearing' media to each other. The feature was first made popular by Snapchat.

Photos and videos sent in one-on-one chats can be set to self-destruct after they have been viewed in Telegram.