WhatsApp for desktop gets global audio player in beta, lets you play voice notes even after switching chats
India Today
After iOS, WhatsApp is bringing its much-hailed voice note playback feature to its desktop users. The feature has been spotted in a recent WhatsApp beta update for desktops.
WhatsApp is bringing a crucial update for its desktop users. The messaging app will soon allow WhatsApp users on PCs to continue playing a voice note even when they switch to another chat. The feature is commonly deemed as a "global voice note player" and is already available on WhatsApp for desktops as per recent reports.
The development comes weeks after the feature was first spotted in an iOS beta update. It brings a useful new function to the Meta-owned chat app. While users previously had to stick to a particular chat to listen to the complete voice note shared over the chat, the new feature will now let users switch chats midway, without disrupting the voice note playback.
This means you can easily listen to a voice note, no matter how long, while browsing through other chats on your WhatsApp. The feature is understandably useful for countless users who use the app to send or receive voice notes.
In a recent report, WABetaInfo now shares that the feature has also been spotted on a beta version of WhatsApp for desktops. The publication mentions that the feature was spotted in the WhatsApp Desktop beta version 2.2204.5, though some beta users might receive it on the 2.2204.1 beta update as well.
The report also shows a screenshot of the feature in action. It displays a WhatsApp window as seen on desktops, with two chats on it. While a voice note from the first chat is being played in the screenshot, a second chat window is open for active messaging.
The voice note continues in a new audio player in the form of a bar that is placed below the list of chats. The audio player will show the progress of the voice note as it plays, even when users are active on a different chat. Users will also have the option to pause the voice note or close it completely through the audio player.
WABetaInfo says that the feature is available to all beta testers today with the latest WhatsApp Desktop beta. In the coming weeks, we can expect the global audio player to appear on WhatsApp beta for Android as well. As and when it does, we can expect a rollout of the feature on the stable versions of WhatsApp across its supported platforms.
