After an eventful first nine months of 2023, WhatsApp’s update department started to slack a little. We understand. We imagine it can get rather tiring refreshing Telegram’s blog for new ideas to swipe. But when the company you’re stealing from is putting out updates that’ll add more colourful phone calls, it forces you to get inventive. Kinda. According to WABetaInfo, the site that keeps track of everything running through WhatsApp’s back-end, the messenger has two updates in the pipeline — one that’ll improve upon screen sharing during calls and another that’ll add themes into the mix. Finally.
Sharing music over a call?
In a bid to promote a sense of “togetherness” and add a layer of “intimacy” — at least, that’s what WABetaInfo reckons — WhatsApp is finally paying some much-needed attention to its screen-sharing capabilities. Spotted in the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.1.19 update, WhatsApp is looking at ways to make sharing music and video audio a reality when sharing your screen with a friend (or group of friends).
When the feature hits the digital store shelves, users on each end of a call will be able to hear what the other is playing through their device — when screen sharing only. It’s not limited to one-on-one calls, either, with group chat voice, and video calls being included. That means WhatsApp watch parties will finally be on the table, though you might just give David Lynch a heart attack in the process.
At the time of writing, there’s no official rollout date to look forward to. We imagine it can’t be far off from being ready for the public — WhatsApp rarely shares features with beta testers that aren’t nearing completion in some capacity. You can expect to see something a smidge more concrete over the coming months, however.
Read More: WhatsApp’s latest round of beta tests promises better statuses and Channel improvements
There’s a theme here…
If WhatsApp’s recent change to the colour of its UI has at all upset you, listen up. If your first thought was “WhatsApp changed its colour?” then… listen up, too. According to WABetaInfo, by the time the messenger got ’round to refreshing its UI with something more modern, some were none too happy with the change. That ‘backlash’ reportedly inspired WhatsApp’s next big addition: themes.
The Meta-owned green phone recently submitted a new update through the TestFlight beta Program for iOS, bringing the app’s version up to 24.1.10.70 — adding themes into the mix. At the time of writing, the feature is still listed as being ‘under development’, and hasn’t yet hit beta-testers devices just yet.
When the feature does eventually go live, it’ll give users the ability to change the main theme of WhatsApp at the tap of a button. According to the preview, there will be five colours to choose from; green, blue, white, pink, and purple. For now, that’s as far as WhatsApp’s customization goes. However, the report makes mention of the possibility of Meta expanding these features to include changing up the app’s chat bubbles down the line.