WhatsApp Tests New Feature for Previewing Documents Before Opening

Highlights

• New Document Preview feature being tested on WhatsApp Android beta.
• Allows users to see thumbnails of documents before downloading.
• Capability extends to PDFs, Word files, and multimedia documents.
• Feature aims to streamline document sharing on WhatsApp.

The popular messaging app WhatsApp is currently testing a handy new feature that will let users see small preview images of documents before opening them fully.

WhatsApp Document Preview in Beta

This ‘Document Preview’ addition is being developed especially for the Android beta version of the app.

As reported by the website WABetaInfo, this builds on WhatsApp’s recent update that allowed sharing of photos and videos in their original high-quality file formats.

The new preview tool aims to make sharing documents like PDFs, Word files etc. much smoother.

With Document Preview, a tiny thumbnail image of the file will be shown.

This means you can check if it’s the right document you want before downloading the whole thing.

The preview will work for documents shared as files as well as for images and videos sent this way.

At the moment, details are unclear on whether text documents like Word files will also get preview thumbnails or if it will just be for multimedia files.

But the feature should make identifying shared documents very straightforward in chats.

This functionality has been available on some other chat apps like Telegram for a while already.

By adding document previews, WhatsApp is playing catch-up to give its users a better experience when frequently sharing files back and forth.

The Document Preview capability is still being developed within the beta program for now.

However, it’s expected to get rolled out more widely to all Android and iPhone users over the upcoming weeks and months.

A very useful upgrade!

FAQs

What is WhatsApp’s new Document Preview feature?

WhatsApp is testing a Document Preview feature that enables users to see a small thumbnail or preview image of a document before they open or download it.

This addition is designed to help users quickly identify the document, making the process of sharing and receiving PDFs, Word files, and multimedia documents more efficient.

How does Document Preview improve user experience on WhatsApp?

By integrating Document Preview, WhatsApp enhances the user experience by allowing for quick identification of shared documents.

This means users can decide whether they want to download or view a document based on the preview thumbnail, saving time and data, especially when dealing with large files or an extensive number of shared documents.

Will the Document Preview feature be available for all document types?

While it’s confirmed that Document Preview will work for multimedia documents shared as files, it’s still under development, and details about its compatibility with various text document formats like Word files are not yet fully disclosed.

However, the aim is to make document identification straightforward across all types of shared files.

When can users expect the Document Preview feature to be widely available?

Currently, the Document Preview feature is in the testing phase within the WhatsApp beta program for Android.

It is anticipated to roll out more broadly to all Android and iPhone users in the upcoming weeks and months, following successful testing and feedback from beta users.

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