Whatsapp has a ‘secret’ camera function, here’s how it works

Whatsapp has become an instant-messaging sensation over the past few years and now has no less than 2 billion users all around the world. It’s not surprising given how convenient and user-friendly it is.

It offers a whole range of features that makes connecting with loved ones simple and easy, but many of its features remain unknown—including their ‘secret’ camera feature.

If you have the application, you are probably already familiar with the camera button that appears in the bottom centre of the home screen (right next to the chat icon). But did you know that you can access that camera without opening the app altogether?

The Whatsapp camera

Whatsapp’s camera feature is convenient because it allows you to take a picture and send it to your contacts straight away. This saves you from going on another app to take the picture and then back to Whatsapp to send it.

You can also access their camera without going into the app, and not many users are aware of this little shortcut. All you have to do is press on the Whatsapp icon, hold it, and then a drop-down menu will appear. You can then directly click on the camera to open the feature.

New ‘Community’ tool

If you have never tried this feature yet, you should definitely start using it before it’s too late. According to WABetaInfo, which specialises in spotting new features in future versions of the app, the camera tool may soon be replaced by another tech-savvy function—the community feature. Mark Zuckerberg also announced this change in a Facebook post in April 2022, saying:

We've created WhatsApp communities to make it easier to organise all your group discussions and search for information.

You'll be able to bring different groups together in one community. For example, in addition to individual groups for different classes, you could have a global community for parents in a school with a central place for announcements and tools for administrators

This article has been translated from Gentside FR.

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