WhatsApp for iOS updated with offline messages queue

WhatsApp has released an update for its iOS app, bringing it up to version 2.17.1. The update brings a few changes to the iOS messaging app, perhaps the most notable being the new queue for offline messages. When WhatsApp users on iPhone don't have an Internet connection, they can still send messages, which will be added to a messaging queue and sent to the recipient the next time the handset has a connection.

Previously, you needed an Internet connection to send a message using WhatsApp. That's still true in the technical sense, as the message isn't actually going to leave your phone as long as you're offline. However, you can now peck out whatever message you want sent while you're offline and tap to send it.

This way, you can tuck your phone away and go back about your business knowing the message will send on its own once you're back in range of WiFi or mobile broadband. It's a convenience feature, but a welcomed one, and only part of the overall update's offerings.

In addition to offline message queueing, the new WhatsApp for iOS has a redesigned storage usage screen that makes it easier to free up space by purging certain content, such as videos, from specific chat logs. There's also the ability to send batches of content, as well, with WhatsApp now supporting sending up to 30 videos or photographs at once.