WHATSAPP’S obsession with useless changes continues – and this time it’s really got people’s backs up.
“Abomination,” is one word I saw to describe things on Reddit and I couldn’t agree more.
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This isn’t my first rant about WhatsApp.
Last year, I complained about a feature that exposes how many people are currently online in a group – which seems to have been quietly dropped.
Now we’re being subjected to something far more sinister… AI.
Over the last few weeks owner Meta has been rolling out the Meta AI button and feature.
A blue-pink-green hued circle that sits permanently at the bottom right corner of the WhatsApp screen.
WhatsApp told the BBC the feature is “entirely optional” this week – but it’s not like you can remove it.
Tapping the button summons WhatsApp’s pointless AI chatbot that will answer just about anything, except how to get rid of it.
When will Meta stop pushing all this extra guff and let WhatsApp be a chat app?
It’s gradually morphing into its bigger sibling, Facebook, with status updates and communities, already perfectly served elsewhere.
Or, at least give people real choice with an option to hide them.
WhatsApp is powerful because virtually everyone has it, with billions of users across the globe.
It’s the one place where all my family updates are usefully kept – in between useless chatter about the neighbour’s latest disruption or moans about the council not cleaning the street.
We make important arrangements there, share holiday snaps and live location when meeting up, and for that I’m thankful for WhatsApp’s vital role.
But with this latest change, I’m ready to delete WhatsApp unless bosses change course pronto.
A WhatsApp rep told the BBC: “We think giving people these options is a good thing and we’re always listening to feedback from our users.”
Let’s hope they do listen to this user and many more.
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