What you need to know
- WhatsApp beta for Android bearing version 2.24.7.6 brings a new status update feature.
- Like Instagram, users will be able to share up to a minute of video as a status update.
- Previously, the same ability was limited to only 30 seconds.
WhatsApp is working on a new feature, which is apparently the most requested — the ability to share longer status updates.
Currently, WhatsApp users can share 30-second video status updates, but that could change, according to WABetaInfo. The latest beta version of WhatsApp that carries 2.24.7.6 found a test version of status updates that can take up to one minute, a significant increase over the current limit.
WABetaInfo further notes that the new feature is currently only available to a select group of beta testers. However, after the official update, more users will be able to use it soon.
Previously, users could only share short video forms via status updates or multiple 30-second clips of a longer video post. The new feature allows users to share longer, one-minute videos, similar to what we’re used to on Instagram Stories.
The new feature is apparently WhatsApp’s most requested feature, and the decision to introduce it was based on user feedback, WABetaInfo notes.
WhatsApp is constantly on the verge of introducing/testing new features to compete with and catch up with rival messaging apps. The messaging platform recently tested voice memo transcription on Android, which was previously available to iOS users.
Moreover, WhatsApp has also started testing the ability to hide the preview of links in conversations through the recent beta version of the app. Late last month, WhatsApp also introduced new text formatting options for the existing bold, italic, strikethrough, and monospace formats.