TL;DR
- The WhatsApp Android beta app is adding a split-view feature.
- The feature improves large-screen optimization on Android tablets.
- Users can now simultaneously view and use two different sections of the app.
It looks like one of the most popular messaging apps in the world just added a new tablet-friendly feature. The beta version of WhatsApp now has a split-view feature for Android tablets.
One of the few things WhatsApp has lacked for years is proper tablet support, but it looks like that could be changing soon. According to WABetaInfo, the messaging app is taking a step to improve tablet support — at least for Android tablets. That step is to add a split-view feature in the beta app.
As the outlet points out, this feature should prove very beneficial for those who use the app on their tablets. It helps to optimize the UI for larger screens, which should result in a better user experience. It will also allow users to multitask, allowing them to simultaneously view and use two different sections of the app.
In the screenshot provided by WABetaInfo, you can see that the screen is split with the chat view on the left side and the active conversation thread on the right side. In the past, the chat view or the conversation would take up the entire tablet screen.
Not all that long ago, WhatsApp announced a companion mode that made it possible to link an Android tablet to an existing WhatsApp account. Although users no longer had to use workarounds to make using the app on tablets a possibility, the companion mode wasn’t optimized for the larger screen. Now with this split-view rollout, the beta app will be more pleasant to use.
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