Hadlee Simons / Android Authority
TL;DR
- WhatsApp is testing a new feature that lets you post longer 60-second videos in your statuses.
- Viewers will need to update to the latest version of the app to get access to this feature.
Taking a cue from Instagram Stories, WhatsApp is testing a new feature that allows users to share longer videos in their status updates. Currently, the platform restricts video status uploads to 30 seconds, forcing users to chop up longer clips.
WABetaInfo discovered the feature in the latest WhatsApp beta version (2.24.7.6) for Android. As of now, only a limited number of testers have access to the extended video feature. Additionally, viewing these longer statuses also requires users to be on the latest version of WhatsApp.
Over the last few years, Instagram extended the time limit for videos in its Stories from 15 seconds to a full minute, and now WhatsApp has followed suit. This change should allow users to share longer snippets of their lives and create more elaborate narratives.
While some may welcome the ability to share more in their statuses, there’s a potential downside to consider. With shorter video snippets, impatient viewers (like me) had the option to quickly scan through their friends’ updates and skip over anything that didn’t immediately grab their attention. Watching a minute-long video to figure out what your Aunt is up to might get a bit too much.
With the beta testing for this feature underway, WhatsApp will likely take some time to gather feedback and iron out any kinks before releasing the update to everyone. We can expect the official rollout for the wider public to happen soon.
