HIGHLIGHTS
- WhatsApp is working on the People Nearby feature on Android.
- To use this feature you have to allow permissions to be visible.
- This feature separate section will come under the WhatsApp app.
WhatsApp is working on a new feature People nearby by which users easily share the files to nearby available devices like photos, videos, and more. This feature will enhance the fill-sharing experience with nearby devices, but currently, this feature is under development.
WhatsApp Nearby File sharing feature details
A new feature was spotted on WABetainfo, WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.9.22 build. However, this feature is currently under development and not ready for beta testers. WhatsApp is working on a feature by which users can easily share files with People nearby.
This feature is designed to offer an enhanced file-sharing experience to nearby users. Which will improve the convenience and efficiency of exchanging documents like photos, videos, and more.
According to this screenshot, WhatsApp is currently in the process of developing a section where to list all needed permission to share files with people nearby and it will be released in a future WhatsApp update of the app.
Users will easily find that feature in their WhatsApp app in the future when this feature is released. With this feature, other users will be able to be discovered only if they also opened the same screen on their WhatsApp app and grant permission for their device to be detected and connected to.
This means that the process will be entirely opt-in for all parties involved. Users will have full control over whether they want to be visible to others nearby, ensuring privacy and security. This file sharing is always end-to-end encrypted, and phone numbers are hidden throughout the discovery and transfer process for added privacy.
By using the people nearby feature, access to photos, media and file stores on the device is needed to facilitate their transfer via WhatsApp to another device. User will be prompted to grant permission to the application to detect and connect to devices on their local network, as it won’t use data connection.
Additionally, location permission is necessary to identify, connect to, and determine the relative position of nearby devices. WhatsApp will also provide the ability to revoke these permissions at any time via device setting, which gives greater control over their privacy settings and preferences.
