WhatsApp added video calling to its platform over six years ago. Since then, the service has improved the feature by letting you add more people to a group video call. Now, taking a cue from the likes of Zoom, Google Meet, and Telegram, WhatsApp is adding screen sharing feature to its platform. As the name indicates, you can share your phone or desktop’s screen via screen sharing when on a video call. This addition makes one of the best messaging apps for Android even better.
Screen sharing in WhatsApp was first spotted in development in late May this year. So, Meta has been relatively quick in making the feature public. If you use WhatsApp to hold online classes, you can use screen sharing to show your notes or slides. It can also be helpful when you provide tech support to your friends or family members over a video call for an issue on their phone.
You can share your entire screen or just a specific app when initiating a screen-sharing session. Do note that when screen sharing, the entirety of your screen’s content is visible to the other parties on a video call, including sensitive and private information.
Like regular chats, screen sharing in WhatsApp is protected by end-to-end encryption. The feature works with video calls and not audio calls. Plus, screen sharing will not share the audio content from apps screen share over the call.
To make the screen-sharing experience better, WhatsApp is also allowing landscape mode video calls. This layout is better suited for screen sharing, especially when viewing slides or presentations.
WhatsApp says screen sharing is rolling out on Android, iPhone, and Windows in a phased manner from today. If the feature is available for your account, a Share button should appear in the bottom action bar when on a video call.