In another step in this direction, the messaging app is all set to bring on a major new feature to its messaging app: screen sharing. According to a report from WABetaInfo, the company is reportedly working on a new feature that will enable users to share their smartphone’s screen with others during a video call as well as improve the users’ overall video call experience. However, the new screen sharing feature will only be accessible to some beta testers that install the latest WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.11.19 update from the Google Play Store. “WhatsApp keeps working on improving voice and video calls in the Android app. After introducing changes regarding the colour for missed calls in the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.10.4 update, WhatsApp is now rolling out a new feature that allows users to easily share their screen during a video call,” WABetaInfo wrote in its report. Once the users update the app, they will notice a new icon for screen sharing in the call control view during the video call, which will prompt them to share their phone’s screen as well as inform them that all the screen content will be visible to others on the video call. When the user selects the icon to share their screen, everything that is displayed on their screen will be recorded and shared with the recipient. At any point in time, the user can stop the screen-sharing process by clicking on the Stop Sharing button during the call. Additionally, this new feature is enabled only if the users give consent to share the content of their screen. It is important to note that the screen-sharing feature may not work in large group calls and may not be available on older versions of Android operating systems. For instance, if the recipient is using an outdated version of WhatsApp, they may be unable to access the shared content of the user’s screen. The WABetaInfo report notes that after installing the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.11.19 update, some users may notice a few minor changes in the new bottom navigation bar. In particular, the bottom navigation bar’s tab placement will show the tabs in this order: Chats, Calls, Communities, and Status. Currently, the update is being rolled out globally and is expected to be available to more users over the coming weeks.
