Last week, WhatsApp unveiled its newest feature, screen sharing, which aims to improve the quality of video calls on its platform and compete with more established video conferencing tools like Microsoft Meet, Google Meet, Zoom, and Apple’s FaceTime.
Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, introduced the new function via a Facebook post and his Instagram account. Users will be able to video call with contacts and exchange papers, photographs, and even their shopping cart.
The “Share” symbol on WhatsApp may be tapped or clicked to start screen sharing, which was first made available for some Android beta testers in late May.
Screen sharing operates similarly to how it does on common video-conferencing services like Google Meet and Zoom. Users will have the option to share only a certain app or their entire screen.
The screen-sharing function of WhatsApp has begun to gradually roll out on Android, iOS, and Windows Desktop. That indicates that while you might not see the feature right away, you will shortly.
In addition to screen sharing, WhatsApp also added support for video calling in Landscape mode, offering a wider, more immersive viewing experience than Portrait mode currently does. When using screen sharing on the platform, support for Landscape mode might also be beneficial.
Since its launch for all users on the platform in November 2016, video calling has been a feature of WhatsApp for more than six years. To stay competitive, the instant messaging app is, however, progressively enhancing its offerings. The ability to share brief video messages in chats and picture-in-picture support for video calls was recently added to iOS, as video has become a vital tool for communication for many users.
Screen sharing has been a crucial feature of video-conferencing apps for quite some time now, including those aimed at consumers. In 2021 Apple enhanced its FaceTime service with SharePlay, which enabled iOS users to share their screens natively. WhatsApp has gone even further by extending this feature to users on Android, iOS, and desktops.
For a while now, the feature has been an essential component of video conferencing programs, even those targeted at consumers. Apple added SharePlay, which allowed iOS users to share their screens natively, to its FaceTime service in 2021. By making this capability available to users of Android, iOS, and PC, WhatsApp has gone the extra mile.
