WhatsApp is among the most popular video-calling apps out there, and it is set to receive some major upgrades to its video-calling capabilities. Meta has announced three new features that could potentially make WhatsApp a great video conferencing alternative to platforms like Zoom.
One of the biggest additions is screen sharing with audio, a feature that will allow users to share not only their screens but also the audio accompanying the content. This could come in handy for activities like watching videos together or delivering presentations with sound. It will be interesting to see how the feature will navigate through potential copyright issues, especially regarding streaming apps with protected data.
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WhatsApp To Allow More Participants In Video Calls
WhatsApp is also expected to increase the maximum number of participants in video calls to 32 across all devices, including mobile and desktop platforms. This expanded capacity brings WhatsApp closer to being a good option for bigger virtual meetings.
To further enhance the video call experience in large groups, WhatsApp is bringing a “speaker spotlight” feature. This will automatically highlight the person who is currently speaking, making it easier for participants to follow conversations, similar to other video conferencing apps.
Moreover, calls on mobile devices will benefit from improved noise and echo cancellation, making sure conversations are clear even in noisy environments. Video calls will also have higher resolution for users with snappy internet connections, and audio quality will be upgraded across the board, even for people with older devices or poor network connectivity.
Apart from these features, the blog post emphasized Meta’s commitment to improving audio and video quality for WhatsApp calls. The company recently brought the MLow codec, which aims to enhance call reliability. The new updates will be rolled out for users in the coming days.
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WhatsApp Will Soon be Adding Another Layer Of Privacy
According to the latest report from WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is testing a new feature that will be adding another layer of privacy to users’ Status updates. The report suggests that the new WhatsApp beta Android 2.24.12.27 update found that WhatsApp is rolling out a Status privacy confirmation feature.
This means that users will be able to control who sees their individual Status updates. Anytime a user uploads a WhatsApp Status, a prompt will appear right before they share, showing them their status’ privacy settings and asking them if they want to change it.
By showing these privacy settings before sharing content, users will be able to post their Status updates to specific groups without having to adjust their settings for each Status individually.