Don’t worry, the shortcut is just moving up in life
Earlier this week, WhatsApp started beta testing its new Communities feature on Android with the potential to enhance the group chat experience on the app. For users involved with the test, the option to create new Communities occupies a spot in the tab bar on the far left-hand side, alongside options for chats, status, and calls. That’s where the camera shortcut used to live — so how were you supposed to snap pics? Thankfully, it looks like WhatsApp has already found a new spot for the camera.
The WhatsApp camera shortcut had been available by swiping right on the list of chats, or in the tab bar, on the left-hand side. With Communities taking its place, WABetaInfo observes that the missing shortcut could return, though now next to the search button and hamburger menu. That spot up top could make it a bit of a hassle to get to, especially if you’re using a taller phone like the Google Pixel 6. However, the placement is prominent and won’t be hard to find.
Work towards that relocation is still in progress, and isn’t available to beta testers just yet, and it’s entirely possible that the app could find another home for the camera shortcut by the time Communities makes its way to the stable channel. We wouldn’t be surprised if the tab bar got a bit denser and WhatsApp kept the camera shortcut there, further to the left, after Communities. Another possibility could be a floating camera button like the one we see in the Status tab.
Finally, it isn’t very well known, but there’s a home screen shortcut for quick access to the WhatsApp camera buried in the widget menu. You can try giving that one a place among your app icons, in case WhatsApp does away with the swipe-right-to-open-camera shortcut. When it does, we’ll have all the details for you, along with how you can make the most of Communities.
