WhatsApp is making your conversations more fun with a new feature called instant video messages. It lets you record and send short video messages directly from the chat, similar to audio recordings. These videos can be up to 60 seconds long and appear circular in the chat.
Circular instant video messages aren’t a new concept. Telegram has had the feature for a long time now. WhatsApp is essentially copying it. The Meta-owned messaging app was first spotted working on this feature in mid-June. It rolled out the new form of video messages to some users in the beta channel.
The company has now announced the public release of instant video messages through a blog post. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg also shared the news on his Instagram channel, along with a video on how the feature works. It’s as simple as sending a voice message.
WhatsApp now supports instant video messages
The latest update for WhatsApp adds an interchangeable button to the right of the compose bar. The existing microphone button can now be changed to a video recorder with just a tap. Depending on which state the button is, it will function accordingly when you press and hold.
In the video state, it starts recording a circular video after a three-second countdown. Like audio messages, you can swipe up to lock. WhatsApp lets you switch cameras as you record. The receiver can play the video in the chat. Tapping the video while playing will pause the playback. These messages can’t be forwarded.
Note that WhatsApp already lets you send videos. You can send a pre-recorded video or use the camera to record one from within the app. The video goes through as a regular file that can be downloaded and stored on the receiver’s device unless it’s sent as “view once” or deleted for all by the sender.
Instant video messages, on the other hand, are like stickers you send during conversations. They appear in chats but you can’t download them to store locally on the device. These messages evoke a sense of immediacy and make conversations more fun. Like all other messages on WhatsApp, these circular videos are also end-to-end encrypted.
According to WhatsApp, circular video messages are rolling out to users with the latest update for the app. It will be “available to everyone in the coming weeks,” the company says. If the new feature hasn’t reached you yet, you can tap the button below to check for updates for WhatsApp on the Google Play Store.
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