Can you screen share on WhatsApp?
Screen sharing is one of the most popular video conferencing features businesses use today. Ideal for bringing context and insights into a meeting, screen sharing can be precious.
Whether you’re working with a team, or giving a presentation, showing someone your screen can save time and increase engagement, productivity, and understanding. For years, leading collaboration and communication vendors like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Webex have offered screen sharing within their tools. However, WhatsApp has lagged behind.
Initially, WhatsApp positioned itself as a convenient tool for interpersonal communications, making features like screen sharing, chat locking, and message editing less essential. However, Meta is increasingly marketing WhatsApp as a business communication and collaboration tool.
As a result, we’ve seen many updates to the WhatsApp platform lately, from integrations with Meta’s Workplace to convenient “call links” for collaborative meetings.
Meta has also finally begun bringing WhatsApp screen sharing to the masses, eliminating the need for time-consuming workarounds and additional apps.
Can You Screen share on WhatsApp?
As the world of communication continues to evolve, hybrid, remote, and flexible workers are searching for new ways to collaborate. This frequently includes WhatsApp, whether the app is approved by business leaders or not. As part of a comprehensive strategy to position itself as a safe, effective, and feature-rich tool for collaboration, WhatsApp has begun evolving rapidly.
Today, it offers API access in the CPaaS world, allowing teams to embed the app into their internal workflows and customer experience strategies. The solution provides a range of native integration options and valuable tools for business users, such as a new “Usernames” option.
The new ability to screen share on WhatsApp is part of this slew of business-focused updates. The feature aims to help the company compete with tools like Teams, particularly in the world of mobile work. Although details around the new features are limited, they indicate screen sharing on WhatsApp is likely to be a similar experience to that on other tools, like Google Meet.
WABetaInfo, a trusted news provider, showcased information about the capability in May 2023. According to the report, the solution is currently available only for a handful of Beta-testers using the latest version of WhatsApp on Android.
However, if this initial Beta test is successful, there’s a good chance the feature will begin rolling out to more users in the coming months.
How to Screen Share on WhatsApp
Meta and the WhatsApp brand haven’t revealed much information about the WhatsApp screen-sharing experience. However, according to WABetaInfo, users must run version 2.23.11.19 of WhatsApp on an Android phone. This means applying to “Become a Tester” on the WhatsApp Beta program within Google Play.
After you sign into your Google Account and enroll as a tester, you should be able to update WhatsApp on your phone to the latest version.
The newest version of WhatsApp, according to WABetaInfo, features a slightly different navigation structure, with a bar for chats, communities, status messages, and calls placed on the bottom of the app dashboard. When users start a call on the updated app, they should see new features on the navigation bar, offering options to switch videos on and off and switch cameras.
There will also be a screen-sharing tab users can tap. Press on this icon to activate the screens sharing session, and you’ll see a message asking you whether you want to start recording or casting with WhatsApp. There will also be a disclaimer about how the app will manage any information it sees when displaying specific details like passwords and photos.
Click the “Start Now” option to begin sharing your screen. Everything on your phone screen will be recorded and shared with your viewer. You’ll also see a message to show you the session has started. Users can then choose to “Stop sharing” with the icon on the navigation bar at any point during the session.
Can You Screen Share on WhatsApp with an iPhone?
Screen sharing on WhatsApp is currently limited only to Android users and those who sign up for the beta testing program on the Google Play store. As such, it has some limitations. You won’t be able to screen share on an iPhone using the native app. Although you may still be able to leverage screen sharing through integrations with tools like Teams and Google Meet.
Additionally, the screen-sharing feature may only work on some devices. It’s still in beta mode, so old versions of Android might not be able to access the service. Moreover, you might find it doesn’t work effectively for more extensive group calls.
There’s also a chance that WhatsApp may choose not to go ahead with the screen-sharing feature eventually, which means going back to your other video conferencing apps. However, since Meta seems to be doubling down on its strategy to connect with a broader business audience, it’s unlikely they’ll scrap the screen-sharing idea.
However, the company may need to implement a few strategies to boost user security. Currently, WhatsApp can see all of the information you share on your app. It may need to adapt how it displays “secure content” to keep business users secure.
Is WhatsApp Becoming a Full Collaboration Tool?
It’s no secret that Meta wants to ensure its applications can appeal to everyone – consumers and businesses alike. WhatsApp already has its “Business” solution specifically designed for enterprises and customer service teams.
It’s also quickly becoming one of the most crucial apps businesses need to consider if they want to deliver a true omnichannel experience.
However, WhatsApp has unfortunately lagged behind its rivals in the past in terms of collaboration capabilities. The decision to experiment with screen sharing could be part of a wider strategy to make WhatsApp a more complete collaboration tool.
While Meta already has Workplace for team collaboration, the expanding number of features added to the WhatsApp environment could create an entirely new solution for workplace mobility.
