WhatsApp begins rollout of instant video messages in chats

WhatsApp continues on its quest to revolutionize communication by adding more and more methods to share your thoughts. Now, in addition to its popular voice messages, WhatsApp is adding video to the mix.

The popular messaging app has announced the rollout of instant video messages where its users can easily create and share brief personal videos directly within a chat. This was also shared by Meta's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg by a message on his Instagram channel, followed by a video on how the feature will work.

Video messages can be up to 60 seconds long, which the company believes is long enough to add a personal touch to users' interactions and allow them to share their experiences more vividly. They are very easy to use as well, making use of the same button WhatsApp users are already using to send voice messages, employing a neat little trick to switch from audio to video mode.

Tapping on the microphone icon will switch to video mode and holding the button will start to record video. Additionally, a swipe-up feature allows you to record hands-free.

Upon opening a video message in a chat, the video will automatically play without sound, but you can easily enable the audio by tapping on it. To ensure your privacy, video messages are protected with end-to-end encryption, providing a secure communication experience.

The rollout of video messages has already begun, and over the next few weeks, it will become available to all users. This follows the release of a brand new WhatsApp standalone app for Wear OS after years of relying on notifications for users to view their messages on their smartwatch. We hope this trend of releasing timely features continues for WhatsApp as it can only benefit its users, especially when there are so many different messaging app options to choose from.