With these updates, Meta has leveled up to compete with some other popular video conferencing apps like Google Meet, Zoom, Skype and many more. It will also fulfill the communication needs at both personal and professional level. 

Mark Zuckerberg officially announced these updates on his social media account on Facebook with the caption – “We’re adding the ability to share your screen during a video call on WhatsApp”. He has also shared a picture taken during the demo of using the latest features”. 

SCREEN SHARING FEATURE 

With the help of screen sharing feature, WhatsApp users can now share the screen and present live view, documents, photos, videos and many more during the video calls. This feature will allow the users to easily engage during presentation or any type of collaborative work. 

Steps for Screen Sharing

1. Start a video Call

2. Tap on the screen share option near the call screen. 

3. Choose from the options – Share a specific screen or Share the entire screen. 

LANDSCAPE MODE FEATURE

Landscape mode is introduced to make the overall video call + screen sharing experience better. With this option, users can get a wider view by rotating the device horizontally, making the video calls more engaging and interactive. 

Users can switch to landscape mode by simply rotating their phone and the phone screen will automatically adjust to a wider view. 

The features will be updated in Android smartphones, iPhones and window platforms, soon it will be available in every WhatsApp user’s smartphone.

Zuckerberg stated in a post shared by Meta CEO on his official Facebook page, “If you want to move your WhatsApp chats to a new phone, you can now do it more privately without your chats ever leaving your devices.” Apparently, the use of QR code authentication will now allow users to share their chat history. In order to demonstrate the new method, he also provided a demonstration video.

WhatsApp users could already move their chat history across phones, but the new QR code form of chat transfer makes the process safer. Users can currently update the backup on cloud services or utilise third-party apps to transfer their conversation history.

Users no longer need to exit their apps on one device in order to move data to the other phone thanks to the new procedure. Without any third-party apps or third-party services in the way, the data simply travels between two smartphones and remains secure.

Therefore, users won’t need to make a backup of their data in order to transfer their chat history or media files. Both devices must have location enabled and be physically connected to Wi-Fi in order to transfer data via a QR code. By navigating to Settings > Chats > Chats Transfer > Scan the QR code with the new device, one can transfer chats and media from an old phone.

Where users can use this avatar:

• Users can use this avatar as their WhatsApp profile photo (WhatsApp DP). 
• Also, users can use this avatar in chatting as a chat sticker. 

Feature options to create an avatar on WhatsApp:

Options are-

• color
• outfit
• hairstyle
• facial features

In addition to that, Users also get 36 custom avatar sticker options along with glasses and body shapes. By using these options, Users can create and also edit according to their desired avatar. 

Giving an update on the new feature of WhatsApp, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote on his Facebook account – We are bringing avatars to WhatsApp! You can now use your avatar as a sticker in chat. More styles are coming soon to all of our apps.

Facebook gave some limited shopping options on the photo-sharing app Instagram and messaging app Whats App last year. Facebook’s fresh initiative seems to be an extension of that. The company believes that despite this slowing user growth, the company’s platform will be more business-friendly and the company will see a further increase in revenue.

The company’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in live streaming that expanding e-commerce will be important to start rebuilding the economy in this era of the epidemic. A single online store will be created through Facebook Shops which will be available on both Facebook and Instagram. In-app purchases can be made through its checkout feature, while through its messaging feature on WhatsApp and Instagram, customers will be able to chat with the merchants available on this platform through directly.

Mark Zuckerberg further said that the company will try to connect more and more businesses and products on its platform in association with Shopify and similarly 7 more online commerce platforms. Zuckerberg further noted that shops can be found on businesses’ Facebook pages and Instagram profiles, and they may also appear in stories or can be promoted in advertisements. Items made available for a business will appear within the shop and users can bucket items or place orders.

Why Facebook is spending millions for a minority stake in Jio

With Jio’s 388 million customers, Facebook will help people and businesses to operate more effectively in this digital world. For example, by connecting JioMart, Jio’s small business initiative, with the power of WhatsApp, Facebook can enable people to connect with businesses. Facebook also owns a minority stake in other Indian companies such as Meesho a social commerce company and Unacademy, an online education startup. For Facebook, India has emerged as an important market in recent years. India has more users of Facebook than any other country. The deal will help reduce RIL’s debt burden, which has emerged because of the rapid expansion of Jio and other businesses.

How Jio and Facebook can work together to make an invasion in India’s internet

1.Virtual Reality (VR)

Facebook was the first company to make consumer VR headset Oculus. Jio already has tied its both virtual and augmented reality (AR) experiences with its broadband service. Jio could add Oculus into this to enhance the worth proposition.

2. Video Streaming

India’s video streaming market is expected to grow to 488 million viewers by 2022. Facebook and Jio have their video streaming platform. While Facebook has its live video streaming platform and Jio has Jiomovies platform only available to Jio subscribers for free. Both the platform Facebook and Jio can enhance the offerings of one another and use their partnership to capitalize on this growth.

3. Payments

Both Facebook and Jio are involved in the payment space.  While Jio has the JioMoney application, Facebook is awaiting regulatory approval to enable digital payments in India through WhatsApp which is a UPI-based payments application. However, Facebook is also working on the Libra cryptocurrency service. It is expected that Facebook can bring libra to India for experimenting with cryptocurrency payment on a large scale.

Wake up call for amazon and Flipkart

The nationwide lockdown has exposed the weaknesses of the e-commerce businesses, while neighborhood kiranas stores offer better service to customers.  Facebook and RIL, the first collaboration will happen over the reliance e-commerce venture JioMart. Jiomart to use WhatsApp’s business features to quickly bring local Kirana stores on board to reach out to customers and to help 60 million small businesses in India. This deal will be a wake-up call for amazon and Flipkart. As they need to review their business model or logistics services to fulfill the grocery demand. The Jio-Facebook deal is an attempt to marry the local commerce with the social part and to hold the trend, and eventually, this will be a lift to the Facebook ad platform as well.