Boomerang on WhatsApp? The Facebook-owned messaging app could soon be adding the loop video feature
The WhatsApp Boomerang feature will reportedly be available on iOS initially and, later on, be rolled out for Android users.
Long before Instagram made it popular, the brief, looping, Boomerang video feature was already a wild trend among social media users. Seeing the trend pick up steam, the picture-sharing platform too introduced the feature, making it all very convenient for Instagrammers to turn their moments or short clips into funny GIFs.
Now, word is that WhatsApp might also be working to introduce a similar option on its platform. The Facebook-owned messaging app is said to be developing its very own Boomerang functionality that would allow users to loop a video.
“The option will be available in the Video Type panel (the same that allows the user to convert a video to GIF) when the video is less than seven seconds, and it can be used to easily create a boomerang of your videos, to send to your contacts and as status update,” reported WABetaInfo, a dedicated site covering all new WhatsApp updates and developments on the platform.
A short video published on the site further described the functionality of what this boomerang option is going to be like once its introduced on WhatsApp. The feature will apparently be available on iOS initially, and later on will be rolled out for Android users.
However, WABetaInfo didn’t have a specific timeline on when the Boomerang feature will be added to WhatsApp.
This comes amid reports of Facebook’s attempts at re-branding its two most popular properties – WhatsApp and Instagram. According to news sites, the internet giant is taking steps to rename the apps as "Instagram from Facebook" and "WhatsApp from Facebook" as part of the re-branding exercise.
The idea, going into this, is to send a clear message as far as the products and services of Facebook are concerned. Once the new titles are added, it will reflect both on Apple’s App Store and on Google Play, claimed reports.
(Edited by Evelyn Ratnakumar)