WhatsApp for Windows’ beta has teased another enterprise-friendly feature for the messaging and collaboration platform — a capability to control input and output devices within the application.
Echoing similar capabilities in popular video conferencing platforms, such as Zoom and Google Meet, users can now choose their preferred speakers, microphone or camera for voice and video calls without having to leave WhatsApp.
To access the feature, a user can go into WhatsApp settings and choose their preferred input and output device from a list, making it easier to switch between devices without going into the laptop or PC’s settings or shifting back and forth from different devices manually.
The feature is currently only available for users of the WhatsApp for Windows Beta but will roll out generally over the coming weeks.
WhatsApp Starting 2024 From Where It Left Off in 2023
One of last year’s most eye-catching running themes was WhatsApp’s development as a holistic, enterprise-friendly communication and collaboration platform — an ambition this update to WhatsApp for Windows highlights that parent company Meta will look to maintain moving forward.
Among the notable business-friendly features introduced last year, in December, WhatsApp introduced the functionality for users to pin a message to the top of their chats for up to 30 days.
This functionality is activated when users press and hold a message for an extended duration, subsequently selecting the “Pin” option. Upon doing so, users are presented with the choice of pinning the message for 30 days or 24 hours. Group chat administrators can also designate a pinned message as visible exclusively to other administrators. Notably, any message, be it text, voice note, image, poll, or video, can be pinned using this feature.
Last month, WhatsApp launched an enterprise-friendly voice chat upgrade, empowering users to host large groups of up to 128 participants in audio calls.
Distinct from a normal group call, this feature is designed to minimize disruptions. Unlike traditional WhatsApp group calls that ring every member, this version introduces an in-chat bubble on each participant’s screen, providing a more discreet invitation that users can tap to join.
This allows users to engage in voice conversations with participants who join while simultaneously enabling them to continue messaging those who are unable to join the voice chat. Conveniently, users can unmute, end the call, or message the entire group without exiting the voice chat by utilizing the call controls located at the top of the chat screen.
In September, news broke that WhatsApp was working on enabling cross-platform messaging to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which passed earlier in 2023.
In a beta update for WhatsApp on Android (version 2.23.19.8) released in September, a “Third-party chats” screen was introduced, strongly indicating Meta’s strategic efforts towards achieving cross-platform compatibility for WhatsApp.
While the influence of the Digital Markets Act in Meta’s decision to pursue cross-party compatibility remains plausible, this development aligns with the clear trend of WhatsApp’s shift towards enhancing its enterprise-friendly features.
In August, WhatsApp introduced a call scheduling feature within group chats to bridge the gap to more traditional business communications and collaboration platforms like Microsoft Teams and Zoom, allowing WhatsApp group users to plan calls and automatically notify other participants, resulting in more convenient and efficient communication.
Lastly, in May, WhatsApp rivalled the likes of Teams by adding a screen-sharing feature that allowed others to view a user’s phone screen while on a video call. Screen sharing was already possible on Teams, Google Meet, and other traditional video conferencing platforms, but it illustrated a significant step forward for WhatsApp, whose communications features had previously been fairly straightforward.
from UC Today https://ift.tt/ab8Zwfp
0 Comments