Meta-owned WhatsApp, the world’s most popular instant messaging app, has started testing a new global audio player for its desktop users. With this feature, users will be able to keep listening to voice notes/messages even after minimising the chat or moving to another chat.

The feature works like WhatsApp’s picture-in-picture player, that allowed users to play videos in a mini window. In this new feature, a global audio player appears at the bottom when the user switches to another chat or window.

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Users will be able to switch between conversations swiftly while listening to voice notes and it will also let them know the progress of the voice note that is playing with the help of a moving bar.

The feature is available on WhatsApp beta for desktop 2.2204.5, but it may be available on version 2.2204.1 for some users of the desktop app.

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This feature was earlier seen in the WhatsApp iOS beta version. WhatsApp’s update tracker WABetainfo confirmed the feature in the report with a screenshot that showed the global audio player.

Earlier, WhatsApp introduced the pause and play feature for voice notes on WhatsApp desktop. This new feature comes as part of several other developments. According to other reports by WABetainfo, WhatsApp for Android beta 2.22.4.12 may have the feature that prevents media being displayed in the gallery when the user has switched on the disappearing messages option. WhatsApp is also testing a redesigned caption menu and reaction messages like iMessage.

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(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)

First Published:Feb 7, 2022 7:27 PM IST