Warning about new WhatsApp update that allows friends to see EVERYTHING on your screen
- WhatsApp has introduced a popular video calling feature called Screen Share
- The feature, already offered by some video platforms, will be rolled out soon
- But be careful before clicking “Share” as your friends can see everything
WhatsApp has made a number of changes in recent years to improve the user experience.
Users can now comment on posts, create their own stickers, lock private chats, and even edit their own posts.
And more updates will follow. One of them is the new ‘Screen Share’ feature that allows your WhatsApp contacts to view anything on your smartphone screen.
The company announced the major update last week, but it’s not as scary as it sounds.
Mark Zuckerberg (pictured above left) posted about the new update and shared a preview of what the new ‘Share Screen’ feature will look like
The introduction of ‘Screen Share’ is simply to show users snippets of websites they view, documents they view, or even how to access features on the app or device.
Many apps, such as Google Meet, Microsoft Meet, Zoom and Apple’s FaceTime already provide the basic functionality and use it for traditional video conferencing.
Meta explained more about the update, saying in a press release, “Whether it’s sharing documents for work, browsing photos with family, planning a vacation or online shopping with friends, or just helping grandparents with tech support – with screen sharing you can share a live view of your screen during the call.’
Meta owner Mark Zuckerberg posted about the new update on social media, sharing a photo of him during a WhatsApp group call where someone was sharing his screen.
Once it rolls out in the coming weeks, users will see a ‘Share icon’ in the app, and once they tap it, they’ll be given the option to share a specific application or their entire screen.
While it sounds useful, make sure you hide anything you don’t want others to see before sharing your screen.
Meta also added that users can video call from their phone in landscape for a wider and more hands-on viewing experience.
WhatsApp first introduced the video calling feature in 2016 and has since added new features to differentiate it from other basic messaging platforms.
Last month, Meta announced that it would allow users to send short 60-second video messages directly to chats.
The app explained: “Voice messages on WhatsApp changed the way people communicate by providing a fast and secure way to share your voice. We are excited to build on this feature with new instant video messages. Now you can record and share short personal videos directly in chat.”