WhatsApp is developing a new feature aimed at enabling document scanning on Android devices, as reported by a feature tracker. This capability is already present in the iOS version of WhatsApp, which allows users to scan documents directly within the app and share them as media attachments with others or to themselves. Recently, WhatsApp also initiated testing of an AI-powered message summarization feature for select beta users on Android.
WhatsApp’s Document Scanning Feature Under Development for Android
Approximately six months after the document scanning feature launched for iOS users, WhatsApp appears poised to replicate this functionality for Android smartphones. According to WABetaInfo, a well-known feature tracker, the Scan Document feature was identified following an update to WhatsApp beta version 2.25.18.29 for Android. However, this feature is still in the works and has yet to be activated for users in the beta program.
Upon its eventual launch, the new Scan document option will be found alongside Browse documents and Choose from gallery when selecting the Documents attachment option in WhatsApp.
As seen in the iOS version, tapping the Scan document button will activate the camera, allowing users either to manually take photos or have the application automatically capture images when it detects a document. Once all pages of the document are scanned, WhatsApp will compile them into a PDF, which can be sent to another user or forwarded to oneself. The generated PDF can also be stored locally on the device and shared with other applications.
In the interim, users have the option to scan documents through the Google Drive app, which is commonly pre-installed on Android devices, until WhatsApp officially releases its document scanning feature for these users. The rollout of this functionality is expected to begin with beta testers before it becomes available to the broader user base.
In addition, earlier this month, certain beta testers gained access to a new AI-driven message summarization feature in their chats. Users with WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.25.18.18 or later may also encounter a Summarise with Meta AI button within chats containing a specified number of new messages, as noted by the feature tracker.
This new summarization feature sends requests to Meta’s Private Processing system, emphasizing user privacy. However, if a user opts for Advanced Chat Protection for a specific conversation, the AI-generated summary prompts will not be shown for that chat.
