WhatsApp has released a new beta version of its iOS app. The company typically releases its upcoming features in its beta apps to test them and take feedback in order to improve the experience and fix issues if any before the public release. WhatsApp’s new iOS beta release introduces a new feature, which will make screen-sharing during video calls easier. The company’s new iOS beta app is getting the feature days after it was released in the Android beta app.
Screen-sharing is available on several videos calling apps, including popular ones like Microsoft Teams, Zoom, etc. Let’s take a look at the upcoming WhatsApp screen-sharing feature that might be released soon.
WhatsApp Screen-Sharing Feature: How Does it Work?
WhatsApp has released a new iOS app’s beta version iOS 23.12.0.74, which introduces screen-sharing support during video calls. The feature was announced recently for WhatsApp beta users on Android in version 2.23.11.19.
Spotted first by WABetaInfo, the report reveals a screenshot, which shows that the screen-sharing feature will get a dedicated button in the bottom row next between the camera flip and video on/ off buttons. If a user wants to share their screen during a video call on WhatsApp, they will be prompted with a message that reads: “Everything on your screen, including notifications, will be recorded. Enable Do Not Disturb to prevent unexpected Notifications.”
While the feature is certainly handy, it poses a risk related to users’ privacy by displaying notifications while sharing their screens. Apple’s FaceTime ensures that notifications do not show up when screen-sharing is enabled. Hopefully, WhatsApp fixes this and hides notifications when the feature is released for the public.
WhatsApp, when releasing the feature in its Android beta app, stated that it will have access to all of the information that is visible on the device’s screen or played from the device while recording or casting. This includes passwords, payment details, photos, messages, and audio that is played while sharing the screen.”
Also, for the feature to work, everyone needs to have the latest version of the iOS or Android beta app. Screen-sharing might not work in large group calls or if the recipient is on an older version of the app.
WABetaInfo noted that the feature is in beta and is being rolled out to a select number of users. The website claims that WhatsApp will release the feature to more users in the coming weeks. There is no word on when the stable version of the feature will be released to the public. Considering that the feature is available on both iOS and Android beta apps, we can expect it to be available to the public very soon.
The feature might soon be available on the Windows version of the Web app as well. WABetaInfo recently spotted the feature working in the desktop app beta version 2.2322.1.0. The good thing about the desktop app is that screen-sharing gives users the option to share the entire screen or a particular portion of the screen.
WhatsApp has officially not commented on the release of the new screen-sharing feature at the time of writing this.
