WhatsApp Spotted Working on Alternate Profile Feature; Lets Testers Double Tap to Seek Videos 2o4y6a Technology News

s who have allowed a limited audience to see their profile photo will soon be able to set an alternate photo and name on WhatsApp. 5e456

Written by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 2 November 2023 12:38 IST

Photo Credit: Reuters 3v6d2p

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

Highlights

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

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WhatsApp is working on a feature that will allow s 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 s your default profile, while displaying another one to other s. 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 s 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 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 s, My s except..., and Nobody. Opting to allow your s — or a subset of your s — 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. s 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 s 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, s 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 s in a future version of the app.

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Further reading: 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 ed via email at [email protected], on Twitter at @DxDavey, and Mastodon at mstdn.social/@delima. More