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Instant messaging app WhatsApp has released new features to allow users to send and receive messages during internet outages .
The company said that the move to let users communicate freely with their loved ones around the world during internet outages was inspired by the recent internet shutdown in Iran due to widespread protests in the country .
WhatsApp users will connect to the messaging app via proxy servers for the first time to allow users to stay online even when an internet shutdown or block is in place.
The new feature within WhatsApp’s settings will allow users to enter the name of a proxy server and use it to connect to the internet.
While the feature is for users all over the world, it has been launched primarily for the people of Iran, where the Islamic Republic banned WhatsApp and Instagram as part of measures to quell the anti-hijab protests that have been on since September last year.
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