WhatsApp will change its name and block minors' accounts

Last week we told you that Facebook had the firm intention to change the name of its main services Let's talk, beyond its own social network, from platforms as important as Instagram or WhatsApp. As you know, for a few years now, Mark Zuckerberg has also had them in his power.

The fact is that, with the latest update that is about to arrive for WhatsApp, this will become even clearer. Which is just what Facebook intends with this small change.

We say small because, attention, don't think now that WhatsApp will stop being called WhatsApp. Nothing is further from reality. Facebook wants any user who uses WhatsApp to know that the service belongs to Facebook. This has been noted by the specialist medium WaBetaInfo, which has already had the opportunity to test the latest WhatsApp beta and has confirmed the change.

New beta version of WhatsApp for Android

The novelty comes on board the beta version 2.19.222 that users can test through the Google Play Beta Program, which is the beta program to which all Android users can sign up to stay up-to-date with the main news that is about to come to WhatsApp.

The fact is that from now on, when we access WhatsApp (note, first the application will have to be updated for everyone), within the configuration section we can read WhatsApp from FacebookSomething similar will happen with Instagram, since in a very short time the application will be renamed Facebook's Instagram.

FROM NEW TERMS OF SERVICES:https://t.co/KvjzuAwtGc

Age. If you live in a country in the European Region, you must be at least 16 years old to use our Services…. If you live in any other country except those in the European Region, you must be at least 13 years old to use …

- WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) April 24, 2018

Underage accounts will be blocked on WhatsApp

Did you have the slightest idea that WhatsApp had changed the terms of service to prevent the use of the tool by minors? It was last year, precisely in April 2018, when WhatsApp announced that from that moment on, in Europe only people over 16 years of age could use the messaging tool.The age limitation is exclusive for the countries of the Old Continent, because for the rest, the minimum and legal age to use WhatsApp is 13 years.

Well, it seems that WhatsApp has proposed to apply this rule very seriously, blocking all those users who do not comply with the limit of age indicated in the terms of service.

With the update to version 2.19.222, WhatsApp has deployed a new function with which access will be directly prohibited to all those people who do not meet the indicated minimum age requirement, in this case set at 16.

For now we do not have data on the formula that WhatsApp will use to discover the age of people who have this application installed on their mobile, but it is clear that if this function has been included it is because the technology has already been developed and what is more important: it works.

Both novelties will be applied, for now, to the beta version of WhatsApp. To test them or see the changes, you will need to have signed up for the Google Play Beta Program. If you haven't already, you can sign up directly through this link and Immediately afterwards, download the application to your mobile.

This way, you will receive updates promptly and before other users. It's a good way to test other functions. But beware, since it is announced, it may take a while until you receive each update.

And if at any time you want to disappear from the trial program, you can do that too. Just install the beta version of WhatsApp and then download the public version of WhatsApp on Google Play.