WhatsApp introduces camera and gallery shortcuts in chat bar

WhatsApp is rolling out a new update for beta testers with version 2.24.24.16, which brings new shortcuts to the chat interface. This update introduces a gallery shortcut to make it easier to share photos and videos from your phone directly within chats.

WhatsApp recently replaced the camera shortcut in the chat bar with a gallery button for beta users. While this change allowed users to quickly share stored photos and videos, many users missed the camera shortcut, which gave them fast access to the camera for capturing moments on the spot.

Based on feedback, WhatsApp has decided to bring back both shortcuts in the chat bar. Now, users will see two buttons in the chat interface – one for quickly taking a photo or video using the camera and another for browsing and sharing photos or videos from their gallery.

These two shortcuts for the chat interface of WhatsApp make it quicker to share photos or capture new ones, without having to navigate through extra menus.

This feature is still in beta, so it’s available to only some testers right now. The feature will gradually be rolled out to more users in the coming weeks

WhatsApp is collecting feedback to see if the new dual shortcut setup improves the experience or if it feels cluttered. If you are testing beta on WhatsApp, install the latest version now.