WhatsApp this week: It’s all about Messenger Rooms

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg last month announced the launch of a new feature called Messenger Rooms that would allow Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram and Portal users to interact with one another without leaving their respective platforms. And in the past week we saw snippets of how that feature would work on WhatsApp.

WABetaInfo, the blog that tracks developments in WhatsApp shared a bunch of reports that gave us a glimpse of how the feature would work in the company’s iOS and Android based app.

The company, as per the blog site, rolled out Messenger Rooms shortcut in the beta version 2.20.163 of its Android app. The feature will appear in the paper clip menu of a chat window where it replaces the camera shortcut between the Gallery and Documents options. On tapping on the Rooms option, users will be directed to a short introduction that will lead them to Messenger.

Additionally, the company has also added another shortcut in the Calls tab right next to the New Calls button.

Coming to WhatsApp’s iOS based app, the feature is available as a part of WhatsApp Beta for iOS version 2.20.52.6. Users can get the Rooms option by tapping on the plus icon that appears at the bottom left corner of the app. Here, the shortcut sits right above the Photo and Video Gallery option. Alternatively, WhatsApp will offer to create a Room when users call a contact.