Screen sharing isn’t just for work calls anymore. Maybe you want to play a game with a friend over a video call, or you need to walk your parents through a tech problem. Either way, screen sharing is a convenience we’ve come to expect, and while it’s standard in apps like FaceTime, is hadn’t been available on WhatsApp until now.
As reported by WhatsApp news site WABetaInfo, Meta is adding screen sharing to WhatsApp, starting with version 2.23.11.19 on Android. The feature works as you’d expect: During a video call, you’ll see a new screen share button, which looks like a smartphone with an arrow. Tap that, and you’ll see a pop-up asking if you’d like to start recording or casting with WhatsApp, along with a warning that WhatsApp will be able to see everything on your screen. To proceed, tap “Start now,” and WhatsApp will beam the contents of your display over to the other callers. You can hit “Stop sharing” at any time to cancel the stream.
WABetaInfo notes this feature might not be available on older versions of Android, but it isn’t clear what the cutoff version is. It also might not work with large group calls, and the other parties might not even see your screen share if they’re running older versions of WhatsApp.
How to share your screen on WhatsApp
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To share your screen during WhatsApp video calls, you need to be running at least WhatsApp version 2.23.11.19 on Android. That version isn’t officially out yet, so you’ll need to install the beta from the Google Play Store. You can become a beta tester by going to this Play Store link, signing into your Google Account, and enrolling as a tester. After you do, you’ll be able to update WhatsApp on your phone to the latest beta version.
WhatsApp has been busy adding useful new features as of late, some of which other apps have had for some time. The app recently introduced message editing for all, as well as the ability to lock your messages behind authentication. And last month, WhatsApp finally made it possible to use the app on more than one phone at a time, removing a limitation WhatsApp users have dealt with since the app’s inception.
[Mashable]