One of the most anticipated features on WhatsApp is the impending arrival of gif images support. In August, WhatsApp let you convert 6-second videos to gifs and share them with your contacts, and now with the latest beta version, WhatsApp has finally made things official. It has brought full-fledged gif support to the instant messaging platform, with WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.16.293.
For now, beta testers can fiddle can send and receive gifs to its contacts and group messages freely. To send gifs, you can now just select the attach file button, head to gallery, and find your content segregated into images, videos and gifs. You can select the needed gif from that section and share it with individual contacts or groups. Before sending, you can even crop the gif image in your preferred size and then hit send. Furthermore, all the received gifs will be automatically stored in "WhatsApp Animated Gifs" folder inside WhatsApp's directory.
(Also see: WhatsApp Finally Gets Mentions Feature for Group Chats)
As mentioned, this feature is in beta, and in order to use it, you need to register for the Google Play beta testing program for WhatsApp, and then download the latest build from the store. Alternatively, you can even download the signed apk file from APK Mirror, though the first method is preferred if you'd like to receive all betas straight from WhatsApp. Interestingly, WhatsApp compresses these gifs images into mp4 files, in order to make them more data-friendly.
(Also see: WhatsApp Gets Several Snapchat-Style Camera Features)
Apart from this, WhatsApp for Android introduced Snapchat-like abilities in its inbuilt camera with its latest update. The photos and videos taken from the camera can now be drawn and scribbled on. You can even add emojis and stickers, and write text on top of them, just like you can on Snapchat. This feature is currently being rolled out only to WhatsApp for Android users, and iPhone users are expected to get drawing abilities soon.
Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.