WhatsApp Working on AirDrop-Like Nearby File Sharing Feature on iOS: Report

WhatsApp is developing a feature on iOS that lets users share documents, files, media and other content with nearby devices, according to claims by a feature tracker. Its functionality is speculated to be similar to Apple’s AirDrop feature, which allows the sharing of content between two Apple devices that are close to each other. This feature is said to be currently under development and is not available to beta testers of WhatsApp for iOS. It is also expected to arrive on WhatsApp for Android.

Nearby File Sharing on WhatsApp for iOS

According to feature tracker WABetaInfo, the nearby file-sharing feature was first spotted on WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.24.9.22 in April. It has now been spotted in development on WhatsApp beta for iOS version 24.15.10.70 update via the TestFlight program, but is not available to testers who install the latest beta..

Nearby Share Feature on WhatsApp for iOS
Photo Credit: WABetaInfo

As per the screenshot shared by the feature tracker, WhatsApp’s nearby file-sharing feature may involve the scanning of QR codes to share files between devices. The text suggests it may be dubbed “Nearby Share”.

It is speculated to allow users to transfer of documents, files, photos, videos and other data without requiring access to the internet. It is currently unclear whether this feature is different from the one that is in development for the Android version of the app, which relies on detection of nearby devices.

The feature tracker also says that the file transfer feature will support end-to-end encryption for secure data transfers. With its arrival, users may be able to share files across platforms, such as across Android and iOS devices. The feature tracker suggests this new functionality is still in development and beta testers who have registered themselves via Apple’s TestFlight program may not have access to it yet.

WhatsApp Channel Improvements

In addition to Nearby Share, WhatsApp for iOS is also speculated to be developing a new way to quickly explore new channels. The Updates tab is said to have received a redesign with the latest beta update, with a new shortcut to discover channels now allegedly appearing.

The latest update is also reported to bring tweaks to the overall user interface (UI) by moving the create channels option within the navigation bar. This feature is said to be available to beta testers who have installed the WhatsApp for iOS app beta 24.14.10.79 update.