WhatsApp beta shows a new menu to switch between voice and video messages - Android Police

Summary

• WhatsApp developers have made functional changes to facilitate switching between voice notes and video messages, improving the user experience.
• The latest beta version of WhatsApp includes a new menu that allows users to easily switch between audio and video messaging, without getting confused about the current mode.
• This update simplifies the UI design and removes a redundant toggle to disable video messages, streamlining the mode selection further.

WhatsApp developers have been hard at work ensuring their creation stays up to date, rivaling the best chat apps on Android. UI changes are a big part of this endeavor, and we see regular changes like the new UI with a bottom-aligned tab bar and new message bubble colors. However, some changes are more functional than cosmetic, like the new menu, which appears to facilitate switching between voice notes and video messages.

WhatsApp introduced video messaging earlier this year in July. Just like on Snapchat, the app allows you to tap and hold the video record button and film a short 60-second clip to share with an individual or group. You can always send longer clips with the conventional Attach option, but video messaging is more immediate, convenient, and playable in the chat window itself. The current stable version of WhatsApp allows switching to video messaging mode by tapping the record button for voice messages once. Switching back to voice message mode is also achieved with a single tap when in video message mode, because holding the button down starts a recording.

The last beta test for a switching animation left ample room for improvement

In August, we spotted WhatsApp testing a new animation making the switch between modes more visual, with the camera and mic icons of the buttons jumping into view when you tap to switch. However, this implementation still left room for confusion. WABetaInfo reports the messaging app is clearing the air now, with a new menu to switch between voice and video messaging.

The new menu which shows up when trying to switch modes

Spotted in WhatsApp beta versions 2.23.22.5 and 22.4, the app developers are testing a new UI where you can tap the record button in either mode to bring up a menu which shows both options — Audio and Video. A checkmark appears beside the selected option to eliminate confusion. This is a much simpler UI design because seeing the mic icon in the record button could confuse people whether tapping once would switch to voice recorder mode, or if that mode was already engaged.

This update also removes the toggle to disable video messaging entirely, because the option is now redundant. WhatsApp introduced this toggle in the app settings menu in September, perhaps to help people who prefer voice messages, or just want to avoid accidentally switching to the video mode. However, the new message makes the mode selection a two-tap affair, rendering this settings option useless.

We hope WhatsApp sticks with this UI, and rolls it out to the stable channel users soon. For now, we just have confirmation of a widespread release in the beta channel, through the Google Play Store.

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WhatsApp beta shows a new menu to switch between voice and video messages - Android Police
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