The popular instant messaging service WhatsApp, which is under the ownership of Meta, is introducing a thrilling new feature for its users. The company’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, has made an official announcement regarding the integration of instant video messages into the chats of this widely-used communication app. With this new addition, WhatsApp users will be able to record and share instant video messages within chats, similar to how audio messages or voice notes are sent.
sometimes you just have to see it to believe it 👀 now you can capture the moment right when it happens with a Video Message. pic.twitter.com/QiDTRhRRJ6
— WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) July 27, 2023
For years, this feature has been available on Telegram, and WhatsApp users have been eagerly requesting it. In the upcoming weeks, the company plans to make this function available, enabling users to record and share videos of up to 60 seconds in duration. Emphasizing ease of use as a priority, WhatsApp has strived to adopt an intuitive user experience, mimicking the functionality of features already present in the app.
Using these quick videos is as simple as tapping the audio recording icon to switch to video mode, located at the bottom right corner where chat text is typed. Users can notice the icon transform from a microphone to a camera silhouette, indicating the video mode.
Recording a video is as easy as holding down the recording button. Moreover, sliding the finger upwards locks the recording into hands-free mode, allowing users to record without holding down the button. Before recording begins, a small countdown appears within a black circle, and once it’s finished, the video note is sent immediately.
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Instant video messages will appear as round thumbnails in chats, and other contacts can simply tap on the preview to view the video. Similarly, when the chat is opened, received videos will initially play without sound, but users can effortlessly enable sound by tapping the screen, just like the sound functionality in Instagram, another application owned by Meta.
After being eagerly awaited for several months, the new feature of instant video messages has finally been officially announced by Mark Zuckerberg. While some users might not have access to this feature yet, Zuckerberg assures that the tool is being gradually implemented and will be available to all in the coming weeks.
In addition to this, Meta has been unveiling other innovative features across its platforms. Meta recently introduced Meta Avatars, a feature enabling users to generate fresh animated stickers for use on Instagram and across Facebook Stories, Reels, and comments. The company even announced that real-time calls can be made on Messenger (within Facebook) and Instagram using these same animated Meta Avatars, eliminating the need to show one’s real face.
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This constant focus on innovation and improvement is crucial for WhatsApp as it seeks to maintain its leading position in the competitive messaging app market. While similar tools have been adopted by its main competitors years ago, the messaging service from Meta, which, according to Statista, boasts 2 billion monthly active users worldwide, aims to catch up by bringing these tools to an interface that many users find more intuitive and easy to navigate than the competition.
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