WhatsApp is reportedly in the process of developing a new feature that will allow users to send short video messages. According to sources, this upcoming functionality will enable its approximately 2.24 billion users to record and share video clips of up to 60 seconds within their conversations. Currently in development, the feature is not yet available for testing by users in the beta update channel. A tracker dedicated to WhatsApp’s features has provided insights into this feature, including a glimpse of how it may function upon its launch.
In contrast to the longer videos that WhatsApp currently supports, this new feature will prevent the saving or forwarding of these video messages to anyone outside of the original conversation, as indicated by feature tracker WABetaInfo.
The development of the short video message feature is underway in the latest beta version for iOS. According to WABetaInfo, these messages will be protected by end-to-end encryption, ensuring that not even WhatsApp or its parent company, Meta, have access to them. The timeline for the feature’s release remains uncertain.
Since its inception in January 2009, WhatsApp has become one of the most widely used social networking platforms globally. Despite its extensive user base, the platform continues to innovate by testing and introducing new features.
Additionally, WhatsApp is exploring a feature that would allow users to establish expiration dates for group chats, which could help in reclaiming storage space.
On a related note, both WhatsApp and Meta have faced criticism regarding their data protection practices. In India, the platforms are under investigation following a significant security breach that compromised the private details of users on both services.
The breach is said to have affected approximately 12 million WhatsApp users and 1.7 million Facebook users, prompting an ongoing investigation into the incident.
