WhatsApp gets new video playback controls

In November 2023, WhatsApp started testing the ability in the beta version of WhatsApp for Android for people to forward or rewind a video by double-tapping on the right or the left side of the display/video. While the feature still hasn’t made it to the stable version of WhatsApp for Android, it is here on the stable version of WhatsApp for iOS.

On Monday, WhatsApp released version 24.6.77 of WhatsApp for iOS on the App Store. In the changelog for the latest version of the app, the company says “You can quick forward/rewind by double tapping the edge of a video.” Once you double-tap on the right of the screen during video playback, the app forwards the video by ten seconds. Similarly, when you double-tap on the left of the display, it rewinds the video by ten seconds. The latest feature gives people better control over video playback.

At the moment, there’s no information about when the company will make the new video playback controls available in the stable version of WhatsApp for Android. However, considering that it is live in WhatsApp for iOS, we expect the feature to come to Android in the next few weeks. On a related note, WhatsApp is working on making it easier for people to access Meta AI in the messaging platform, allowing people to read transcripts for voice messages, and offering an option to send HD photos by default.