WhatsApp Spotted Working on Alternate Profile Feature; Lets Testers Double Tap to Seek Videos

Users who have allowed a limited audience to see their profile photo will soon be able to set an alternate photo and name on WhatsApp.

Written by David Delima, Edited by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 2 November 2023 12:38 IST

Photo Credit: Reuters

WhatsApp is also beta testing the ability to use more than one account on the same phone

Highlights

WhatsApp is working on a new privacy feature related to user profiles
The chat platform will let users show an alternate profile to users
WhatsApp is also testing the ability to use gestures while seeking videos

WhatsApp is working on a feature that will allow users to set up an alternate profile on the app, a feature tracker has revealed. The Meta-owned messaging platform is working on the ability to show some users your default profile, while displaying another one to other users. Meanwhile, the service has also begun testing a new feature that allows beta testers on Android to seek a video with a double tap gesture on the left and right sides of the screen.

Spotted by WhatsApp feature tracker WABetaInfo on the latest beta version of the messaging app for Android phones, the "alternate profile" feature is designed to offer a privacy alternative for users who utilise the profile-related settings on the messaging app. Beta testers who have updated to WhatsApp for Android beta 2.23.24.4, which contains the code that was spotted, will not be able to try out the feature as it is still in development.

The upcoming alternate profile setting on WhatsApp
Photo Credit: WABetaInfo

According to details shared by the tracker, WhatsApp is working on a new setting located under Privacy > Profile photo > Alternate profile. The messaging service currently offers four settings for displaying your profile photo: Everyone, My contacts, My contacts except..., and Nobody. Opting to allow your contacts — or a subset of your contacts — to see your photo limits the audience that can view your profile.

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A screenshot posted by WABetaInfo shows a brief explanation of how the alternate profile feature will work. Users who have allowed a limited audience to see their profile photo will be able to set an alternate photo and name on WhatsApp — these will be shown to users who cannot see the primary profile image, according to the screenshot.

Meanwhile, the feature tracker reports that WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.20.20 has added a new video-related feature that beta testers can try out — the ability to seek forwards and backwards using gestures. After updating to the latest beta version, users can double tap on the left and right of the screen instead of dragging the seek bar.

Using a double tap gesture to move forwards and backwards in a video is a feature that already exists in several video streaming apps, including YouTube. It can come in handy when you are watching a video and want to rewatch a segment you just watched, or if want to skip a specific part of a video that you have already viewed. The double tap to seek gesture is expected to make its way to all users in a future version of the app.

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Further reading: WhatsApp, WhatsApp beta, WhatsApp alternate profile, Alternate profile, WhatsApp features

David Delima

Email David Delima

As a writer on technology with Gadgets 360, David Delima is interested in open-source technology, cybersecurity, consumer privacy, and loves to read and write about how the Internet works. David can be contacted via email at DavidD@ndtv.com, on Twitter at @DxDavey, and Mastodon at mstdn.social/@delima. More