It's been days since the last WhatsApp update, but don't worry: a new one is rolling out right now, and it's a useful one for work as well as for sharing stuff with friends. You can now share your screen during a WhatsApp video call, and there's now the ability to make those calls in landscape mode to make full use of your phone or tablet's width.
The announcement was made by Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, and it's an extremely brief one. Perhaps he was too busy for his oiled wrestling match with Elon Musk, or whatever nonsense the Twitter chief is suggesting this week.
The screen sharing feature has been available in beta versions of the app for a while – it was spotted by the code watchers at WABetaInfo in beta versions for iOS, Android and for Windows – but now it's rolling out to the main app. As ever with WhatsApp upgrades it's a global rollout so don't worry if it hasn't appeared in your app just yet. It's definitely coming.
What's so great about screen sharing?
Screen sharing is in all kinds of social apps now including Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet, and while the most obvious uses are in the workplace – sharing presentations or showing how to use specific apps or features – Meta is keen to point out the more fun aspects, suggesting you might browse photos with family members you can't physically be with, shopping online with friends or that dreaded chore, helping older relatives with tech support.
The reason for all these app updates is simple enough: WhatsApp is keeping pace with a huge range of rivals including the aforementioned video meeting apps as well as messaging apps such as Signal and Telegram, which is why we've also seen recent updates adding video notes and poll voting. And of course all of this is happening while Meta is also investing heavily in Threads, its Instagram-based social network, which is expected to get a desktop version within weeks. It's ironic that while Elon Musk talks a lot about trying to make X, aka Twitter, the "everything app", Meta is the one that appears to be building it.
-
The best of CES 2025: the top 21 gadgetsThe Consumer Electronic Show 2025 didn't disappoint. These are T3's award-winners from the Las Vegas event
-
Scrap long workouts — this 20-minute session helps build muscle and strength all overDon’t want to head to the gym either? You can do this workout from the comfort of your home
-
Microsoft wants to ditch Windows for future Xbox gaming handheldsXbox’s console operating system could shape how we use future handhelds
-
Microsoft Teams gets a great free update that iPad owners will loveHappy video calling!
-
Google set to make moving between Android phones much less painfulBuying a new Android phone? Your next migration could be a lot smoother
-
Xbox's next free update will be a genuine game-changerYour Xbox Series X/S game library is about to get interesting
-
Android phones getting something iPhone owners outside Europe can only dream ofCourt ruling ramifications becoming clear
-
Your Android phone just got a hidden free anti-theft updateThis should keep your data safe if your phone is stolen
-
Forget Android 15, your phone could have Android 16 sooner than expectedGoogle reportedly planning to shake up its release schedule
-
Android phone prices could soon soar for just one reasonPrice of the brick goin' up
