WhatsApp launches new video streaming feature. Here's how it works

WhatsApp's new feature will let you watch shared videos without having to wait for them to fully download first.

WhatsApp is on a roll when it comes to introducing interesting features. Just a week after launching its much-awaited video calling feature, WhatsApp has introduced another video related feature. This new feature basically lets you watch a shared video while it is being downloaded to your phone. At the time of filing this story, the feature is only available on WhatsApp beta version 2.16.365.

Earlier when someone would share a video, you would either get a download button or it would automatically download to your phone based on your settings. But in both the scenarios, one could only watch the video once the download is completed. Now however, instead of a download button, you see a play button.

When you tap the button, the video will start buffering, and you will be able to watch the video while it is being downloaded on your phone. The buffering feature is similar to what you see when watching videos online. This new WhatsApp feature was first spotted on the beta app by The YourStory

While it may not necessarily be a feature that you could not live without, it surely saves you some time that you would otherwise spend waiting for the video to download.

To use this feature, you will have to download the latest WhatsApp beta app that you can get on the Play Store. You will however have to first enroll in the company's beta program. It is likely that WhatsApp would release this feature on the final version soon.

Videos are clearly the way forward for Facebook and the companies it owns, like Instagram and WhatsApp. After a lot of requests, WhatsApp finally introduced video calling feature on its Android, iOS and Windows Phone apps.

We spent some time using the new video calling feature and despite suffering from some performance issues, it is still a welcome feature. The company boasts that the feature is optimized to work even when the network quality is not the best.

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10 hidden iPhone tricks Apple never told you about

Apple's iOS 10 software is packed so full of features at this point that it's absolutely impossible to remember them all. The engineers and designers responsible for creating the iPhone and Apple's iOS 10 software can't even remember them all.

The same can be said of any computer, of course, but when it comes to your iPhone you could be missing out on great features that improve your experience day in and day out.

Today, we've got a fresh new batch of hidden iPhone tricks for you and we guarantee two things: first, you will definitely learn something new from today's list even if you're an iPhone expert. And second, you'll find some fantastic hidden tricks on this list and use at least a few of them all the time.

MUST

The tricks on today's list all revolve around 3D Touch, a flagship feature Apple introduced with the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus last year, and also included on this year's iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. It's a very nifty feature that lets the iPhone respond differently to touches depending on how much force is used, but there's a downside: There's absolutely no indication of where 3D Touch works and doesn't work in iOS, which is why posts like this one are so useful.

> With that, here are some hidden 3D Touch features you should definitely check out:


» Press firmly on Apple's iOS keyboard to turn it into a trackpad that controls the cursor

» Press firmly on the left edge of the screen and swipe toward the center to open the app switcher UI

» Many people know the trick above, but did you know you don't have to swipe at all? Just press more firmly and the app switcher will pop open

» Press firmly on any folder containing apps with unread notifications and you'll see a menu with shortcuts to the specific apps with notifications

» Press firmly on the App Store icon for a shortcut to update all apps with available updates

» Press firmly on the Calendar app icon for a widget that shows you your schedule for the day

» Press firmly on the Phone app icon for a widget that shows your first four favorite contacts

» Press firmly on the Weather app icon for a widget that shows current conditions and the day's forecast

» Press firmly on the Maps app icon for a widget of your upcoming destinations

» Press firmly on the “X” in Notification Center for an option to clear all notifications

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