WhatsApp beta for Android 2.25.3.7: what's new?

WhatsApp is rolling out a new update through the Google Play Beta Program, bringing the version up to 2.25.3.7.
What's new in this update? WhatsApp is rolling out a feature to open view once media on linked devices, and it's available to some beta testers!

In the article about the WhatsApp for iOS 23.25.79 update, we announced that an option to set voice notes as view once was available. This feature ensures that voice messages remain private and can only be listened to once by the recipient, preventing them from being shared, saved, forwarded, or recorded. It appears that WhatsApp is now testing new advancements for view once media, further enhancing the way users share sensitive content securely with added convenience. Thanks to the latest WhatsApp beta for Android 2.25.3.7 update, which is available on the Google Play Store, we discovered that WhatsApp is rolling out a feature to open view once media on linked devices!

As you can see from the attached screenshot, some beta testers can explore a new feature that allows them to open view once media on their linked devices. Previously, WhatsApp restricted both the sending and viewing of photos and videos set to view once on linked devices. This limitation applied to all companion devices, including desktops, and it significantly impacted the usability of the feature for those who frequently switch between their devices.

Last year, WhatsApp took a step forward by enabling users to send view once media from linked devices, including desktop apps. This update improved the user experience, allowing users to experiment with a more enhanced communication across their different devices. However, despite this change, WhatsApp still did not allow users to open view once images, videos, and voice messages on linked devices. The reason behind this restriction was unclear, but one possible explanation is that WhatsApp wanted to prevent users from taking a photo of the received media on their secondary device using their primary device. While this might have been a privacy-driven decision, it was somewhat paradoxical. In reality, a user could do the opposite, as they could open the media on their primary device and capture it using their secondary device, despite this not being an ethical or intended use of the feature.

With the latest update, WhatsApp is finally addressing this limitation by allowing users to open view once photos, videos, and voice messages on their linked devices as well. This change greatly enhances the convenience of using the feature, especially for those who rely on multiple devices throughout the day. Users no longer need to switch back to their primary device whenever they receive a view once image, video, or voice note. Instead, they can finally open it on any of their linked devices, making the feature more practical and efficient.

A feature to open view once media on linked devices 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 days.

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