Tech Desk 
Nov 03, 2024
WhatsApp has long been working on refining user experience and one of the recent developments includes the testing of a new gallery shortcut feature which will make sharing photos and videos a lot easier from the gallery.
As spotted in the Android beta 2.24.23.11 version, the new capability is under development and is available to a few beta users only through the Google Play Beta programme and will be rolling out to even more people over the coming weeks.
Read more: WhatsApp now allow users to filter chats with customised lists easily
What’s new in latest WhatsApp beta version
Reportedly, WhatsApp’s new shortcut tool appears in the chat bar, replacing the previous entry point that allowed users to open the camera.
Though it seems a minor update, it will allow WhatsApp users to quickly access their gallery content without needing to navigate through multiple steps, saving them time.
To be noted, to record video messages, users can still tap and hold the new gallery button, preserving the feature that many rely on for quick video responses.
While WhatsApp is utilising this rollout as a testing phase to gather user feedback, the feature might only be a permanent addition if it meets user expectations.
Moreover, WhatsApp is developing an automatic text formatting tool that will automatically add underlines to links, helping users to distinguish links from regular text easily.
