WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.24.23: what's new?
WhatsApp is rolling out a new update through the Google Play Beta Program, bringing the version up to 2.24.24.23.
What's new in this update? WhatsApp is rolling out a feature to bring a camera shortcut to the gallery sheet, and it's available to some beta testers!
| Common questions | Answers |
|---|---|
| Name of the feature? | Camera shortcut |
| Status? | Rolling out |
| Compatibility? | WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.24.23 is marked as a compatible update, but some users might experiment with the same feature by installing certain previous updates. |
| I've installed this update but I don't have this feature. Why? | This feature is available to some beta testers, and it is rolling out to more users over the coming weeks. |
| Thanks: | Muhammad Hammad and Akan, for testing and reporting. |
| Previous news? | WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.24.18: what's new? WhatsApp is working on a new feature to chat and talk with Meta AI! |
CAMERA SHORTCUT
In the article about the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.24.9 update, we announced that WhatsApp was rolling out a new gallery interface for sending photo and video albums. This update introduces a revamped gallery interface, allowing users to select multiple photos and videos simultaneously, simplifying the process of sending albums. In addition, WhatsApp now supports captions for entire photo and video albums, allowing users to add context to groups of media items. It appears that WhatsApp is experimenting with additional enhancements for the gallery sheet, with the aim to further improve convenience. Thanks to the latest WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.24.23 update, which is available on the Google Play Store, we discovered that WhatsApp is rolling out a feature to bring a camera shortcut to the gallery sheet!
As you can see from the attached screenshot, some beta testers can explore a new entry point to open the camera directly within the gallery sheet. With the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.23.11 update, we highlighted that WhatsApp was also rolling out a feature to open the photo and video gallery from the chat bar. This new shortcut replaces the previous camera entry point, making it easier for users to access their gallery content without navigating through multiple steps. However, some users might prefer the previous shortcut, which opened the camera directly. They may find the new gallery shortcut less convenient, as it adds an extra step to open the camera, which was previously a one-tap process.
WhatsApp initially introduced both shortcuts in an experimental phase to test different ways of improving user experience, as reported in our article covering the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.24.16 update. For users who only have the gallery shortcut available in the chat bar, WhatsApp is now adding a camera entry point directly to the gallery sheet, partially bringing back the convenience that was reduced when the gallery shortcut replaced the direct camera option. It is important to note that the new camera shortcut within the gallery sheet may not be accessible to users who still have the camera shortcut in the chat bar. This is a deliberate decision by WhatsApp to avoid redundancy and keep the interface clean.
A feature to bring a camera shortcut to the gallery sheet is available to some beta testers who install the latest updates of WhatsApp beta for Android from the Google Play Store, and it is rolling out to even more people over the coming weeks.
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