WhatsApp Working on Bringing Back New Camera Shortcut for Android App

WhatsApp removed the camera tab in its previous update to accommodate Communities tab.

According to reports, WhatsApp is working on a solution to include the camera shortcut on the main interface of its Android app. In a previous beta update, the Meta-owned instant messaging platform replaced the camera tab with the communities tab.

The camera shortcut was also completely removed in the recently released beta update. WhatsApp is also said to be working on a feature that will allow users to quickly view the status updates of others in their chat list.

According to WhatsApp feature tracker WABetaInfo, the app is receiving a new update via the Google Play Beta Program, bringing the version up to 2.22.19.7.

The camera shortcut has been restored to the main interface with this update. This was removed in an earlier update to make room for a shortcut to the WhatsApp Communities tab.

In a future update of the app, the camera shortcut is said to be added just beside the search shortcut on the top right corner of the main screen.

Both the Communities tab and the camera shortcut appear to be important features for WhatsApp, and the company is attempting to figure out how to fit both shortcuts on the main page.

It should be noted that the update that will restore the camera shortcut is not currently being rolled out. It is possible that some changes will be made before it is released to beta testers.

The news comes just a few days after it was revealed that WhatsApp is working on a feature that will allow you to quickly see your friends’ WhatsApp statuses.

This feature is said to allow users to view the status update by clicking on a contact’s display picture within the chat list. It is also possible to turn it off by muting all status updates in the WhatsApp for Android app.

The update may be rolled out to more beta testers in the coming weeks, according to reports. It may be released for iOS as well in the future. WhatsApp has yet to announce a release date for this feature.