WhatsApp redesigns audio attachment UI on Android, now lets you preview files

WhatsApp is finally introducing a design overhaul in its ancient-looking audio attachment interface. If you’ve sent anyone an audio file from your phone’s local storage lately, you know exactly what we’re referring to here. As per a report by Android Police, WhatsApp has finally changed its dreadful-looking audio attachment interface for Android devices. [caption id=“attachment_6017841” align=“alignnone” width=“1024”] Representational image.[/caption] The awful grey bottom bar has been removed and the interface has been functionally improved as well. Audio files which are locally stored on the phone now show up with both their duration and size, a thumbnail on the left, and a play button on the right. This lets you quickly preview the audio before sending it, which is intended to ensure you don’t send across the wrong audio file. You can tap and hold to select multiple audio files and send them in a batch and also search for a particular file by name. [caption id=“attachment_6420171” align=“alignnone” width=“916”] WhatsApp has changed its audio attachment interface. Image: Android Police[/caption] The new design changes are being rolled out server-side, which means that it will be visible across beta versions, starting v2.19.89, all the way up to 2.19.99. WhatsApp has also been working on features to combat the spread of fake news for quite some time now. The messaging platform had been spotted testing a new ‘frequently forwarded message’ tag last month and this feature is now being further improved. As per WABetaInfo, a source that closely tracks WhatsApp developments, WhatsApp is now testing a feature for group administrators to disallow sending **frequently forwarded messages** in groups. In the latest WhatsApp beta, version 2.19.97, the feature was spotted by developers within the code, but it wasn’t available for use just yet. Once live, the feature will be available under Group Settings, with the option to disallow frequently forwarded messages visible only to administrators. Administrators can choose whether to use the feature or not, as it can be kept disabled.

WhatsApp is rolling out the Frequently Forwarded message feature on WhatsApp beta for iOS 2.19.40.23 and Android beta 2.19.86!
A message is frequently forwarded when it has been forwarded 5+ times.
Check out the screenshot and the article for more info.https://t.co/HGIOImvuyK pic.twitter.com/ocwm6f3UCU

— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) March 29, 2019

Those who’re willing to forward a particular message anyway can still continue to copy the message and paste it into the group, but they will have to take that extra step and do it. Earlier, WhatsApp had restricted a message to be forwarded to not more than five times and now preventing the frequent forwarded messages to be blocked within the groups’ hints how persistent WhatsApp is becoming to tackle fake news especially in countries like India, which is also ahead of elections this week.