Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- WhatsApp is working on many new features, as spotted across its various betas on iOS, Android, and Windows.
- These features include video messages, higher-quality photo sharing, and editing and screen-sharing features for desktops.
When discussing new features on popular instant messaging apps, we usually talk about Telegram and its fast pace of bringing new and innovative features to the platform. WhatsApp seems to have had enough of others being in the lead, as the service has been ramping up the new features that it offers to its users. We’re seeing a flurry of activity around multiple new features, ranging from video messages, HD photo sharing, screen sharing, and even a Material Design 3 refresh.
All of WhatsApp’s work-in-progress features have been spotted on beta builds, but the platform can vary between Android, iOS, and Windows.
Starting off, as spotted by WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is working on letting users send video messages. This option will exist alongside voice notes for situations where a quick, 60-second video message will get the job done better.
The difference between a regular video attachment and a video message would be that video messages cannot be forwarded directly, though you can screen-record them.
Next, WhatsApp is also working on letting users send and receive “HD” photos, as reported by WABetaInfo. By default, WhatsApp heavily compresses all images, videos, and other media sent on its platform. If you want to send something without applying this heavy compression, you have no other option but to send it as a document.
Soon, the service will let you send photos in a higher resolution while applying lighter compression, though the default setting will remain with heavy compression.
For Android users, WhatsApp has been working on a refreshed design for a while now. One of the latest changes spotted by WABetaInfo are floating action buttons, and toggle switches that follow the Material Design 3 guideline. The navigation tab also moves to the bottom, as it is on iOS.
For Windows users, WhatsApp is working on bringing some feature parity with its mobile counterparts. Betas indicate that the service is working on bringing message editing as well as screen-sharing functions to the desktop OS.
This pace of feature development is surprising for WhatsApp, as the service is infamous for being slow to make changes or bringing in new features. Recently, WhatsApp officially announced the Channels feature, which other competing IM services have had for years. We hope to see WhatsApp keep up the good work and further flesh out the messaging service.
