WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.9.8: what's new?
WhatsApp is rolling out a new update through the Google Play Beta Program, bringing the version up to 2.24.9.8.
What's new in this update? WhatsApp is working on a preview feature for documents, and it will be available in a future update!
| Common questions | Answers |
|---|---|
| Name of the feature? | Document preview |
| Status? | Under development |
| Availability? | WhatsApp is working on bringing a preview feature for documents to a future update of the app. |
| Special thanks: | Adwaith Varma, for collaborating, testing, and reporting. |
| I've installed this update but I don't have this feature. Why? | This feature is under development so it's not ready for beta testers, but it is possible to discover a preview in this article. |
| Previous news? | WhatsApp beta for iOS 24.8.10.71: what’s new? WhatsApp is working on a fresh interface for the status updates tray! |
DOCUMENT PREVIEW
In the article about the WhatsApp for iOS 23.24.73 update, we announced that WhatsApp was widely rolling out a feature to send original quality media as a file. This enhancement allows users to share photos and videos without concerns of compression compromising their quality, preserving every essential detail. It appears that WhatsApp continues to innovate in document sharing, aiming to enrich the sharing experience with ongoing development of new features. Thanks to the latest WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.9.8 update, which is available on the Google Play Store, we discovered that WhatsApp is working on a preview feature for documents!
As you can see from the attached screenshot, WhatsApp is currently exploring the integration of a preview feature for media shared as documents, scheduled for release in a forthcoming update. A notable difference can be observed between those two documents shared in our conversation: the first one depicts how documents are currently shared, while the most recent one previews how documents will be shared in the future. Specifically, this feature will enhance user experience by providing thumbnails of documents, facilitating quick recognition of their content, especially when they comprise photos or videos. This addition promises to improve navigation within conversations in the future, enabling users to identify and engage with documents more efficiently.
In our opinion, the implementation of a preview feature for media shared as a file will bring significant advantages to the user experience. It will finally address the current complexity users face in distinguishing between different documents within their conversations. At the moment, identifying which document corresponds to which image or video can be complicated without opening them, particularly when numerous files without a caption are shared within a chat. By introducing thumbnails for documents, we believe that WhatsApp will significantly improve the process of identifying shared media content, eliminating the need to open each file individually.
A preview feature for documents is under development and it will be available in a future update of the app. We will share another article once we gather more information about this feature.
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