WhatsApp Reportedly Adding Improvements to Its Under b391b Development Nearby File Sharing Feature for Android

WhatsApp was first reported to be working on a nearby file-sharing feature in January 2024. 5s3252

Written by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 23 April 2024 16:12 IST

WhatsApp Reportedly Adding Improvements to Its Under-Development Nearby File Sharing Feature for Android

Photo Credit: Unsplash/Alexander Shatov 2q1d5r

WhatsApp’s nearby file-sharing feature is reportedly end-to-end encrypted

Highlights

The feature’s new section comes with info about the permissions required
Nearby file sharing is said to allow s to set their visibility
The WhatsApp feature uses Bluetooth to transfer files to other s

ment

reported to be working on a Favourites tab.

The new feature was Android 2.24.9.22 build. However, the feature is currently not visible and beta testers will not be able to use it. As per the report, the People nearby feature now comes with a screen citing detailed permissions required for it to work. A separate screen also has an animation for finding nearby people and shows the list of discoverable s.

WhatsApp nearby file-sharing feature
Photo Credit: WABetaInfo

As per the screenshots, the People Nearby feature, which is located directly within the Settings menu, now informs s about the permissions WhatsApp requires to be turned on. These include access to photos, media and files, access to Bluetooth, and access to location. While access to files is required to show and send them to s, Bluetooth and location services are likely required to maintain the local network with s in proximity.

WhatsApp Working on a Feature to Let s Add Favourite s: Report

Once permissions are granted, s are taken to another page where other s who have activated nearby file-sharing can become discoverable and transfer files among each other without requiring internet connectivity. In the screenshot, WhatsApp claims sharing is end-to-end encrypted and the 's phone number will remain hidden.

The feature can be a good alternative to sharing large files over the internet which can consume large amounts of data or sharing them through cloud services, especially in situations where the network is unstable or the has limited data available. As per the report, the feature is near completion and could be available to beta testers via a future update.

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Further reading: Android

Akash Dutta Email Akash Dutta

Akash Dutta is a Senior Sub Editor at Gadgets 360. He is particularly interested in the social impact of technological developments and loves reading about emerging fields such as AI, metaverse, and fediverse. In his free time, he can be seen ing his favourite football club - Chelsea, watching movies and anime, and sharing ionate opinions on food. More