WhatsApp for Android Gets Media Visibility Feature for Individual Contacts, Groups

WhatsApp for Android now lets you toggle the Media Visibility feature for any specific chat. This expands the original experience that debuted on the WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.18.159 last month but was no longer a part of the app in recent versions. The feature helps you hide or show the WhatsApp media content in the gallery that you've received from a particular contact or group. The fresh experience is available through the WhatsApp beta version 2.18.194. Earlier this month, WhatsApp for Android received a new beta version with a feature to enable labels on forwarded messages. The Facebook-owned instant messaging app also recently started brought group video and voice calling support to all Android beta users.

Unlike the original Media Visibility version that was a part of the Data and storage usage settings under the General Settings menu, the Media Visibility feature this time is available within Contact Info and Group Info. This means if you want to hide downloaded media from a particular contact in your phone's gallery, you need to go to Contact Info of that contact and then select No after tapping the Media visibility option. But in case if you want to hide downloaded media from a group in your gallery, you need need to go to Group Info of that group and then select No after tapping the Media visibility option. Notably, the visibility of downloaded media content is by default enabled in both contact and group cases.

Previously, the Media visibility was available to hide or show downloaded content received from all the contacts in the gallery. It was a part of the WhatsApp beta version 2.18.194, though WhatsApp silently removed the feature in the last version.

As WABetaInfo reported, the expansion of the Media Visibility feature is live for users with the WhatsApp beta version 2.18.194. The updated WhatsApp beta is available for download through the Google Play beta programme. Alternatively, you can download its APK file from APK Mirror.