What you need to know
- WhatsApp users can now share their screens on video calls with friends and family.
- The feature was announced by Mark Zuckerberg via the Meta broadcast channel.
- In addition, video calls now support landscape orientation, which extends to screen sharing.
After introducing instant video messages late last month, WhatsApp is getting a new ability that allows users to share their screen on a video call.
On Tuesday, Mark Zuckerberg took to the Meta broadcast channel on Instagram to announce the new feature. He even shared a screenshot of how it looks when rolled out to Android phones and other compatible devices. The feature is similar to what we have seen on other video conferencing apps like Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams.
During an ongoing video call, a new "share screen" button will be at the bottom of the WhatsApp interface alongside the camera icon, video mute, call mute, and call end buttons. Hitting the share screen button will share the existing screen on your handset. Users can use WhatsApp's picture in picture mode if they want to share and simultaneously see their screens.
The user sharing the screen will take up significant space on the recipient's screen; the other participants will be vertically stacked up on the side. The screen-sharing feature on WhatsApp supports both portrait and landscape orientations. This also extends to regular video calls, which are now supported in landscape mode for a "wider and more immersive viewing and sharing experience."
The video calls, in general, are end-to-end encrypted, and screen sharing will be, too. However, users may still be greeted with a warning pop-up when sharing their screen.
As for the rollout, we have already seen the feature available on WhatsApp for Android on devices like Pixel 6a and iOS on the iPhone 14 Plus. It will also be available on desktop, although it may take some time for you to see the feature show up.
While the new feature is a welcome change on WhatsApp as it puts it ahead of other competing messaging apps, users have to bear in mind and be cautious before sharing sensitive information on video calls with their friends and family for the time being.
