Facebook clearly has big plans for WhatsApp, and it’s just now starting to roll them out to users. Recently, the Android version of WhatsApp was updated with the ability to make voice calls, and now, some users have spotted a new WhatsApp button Facebook, that lets them send Facebook statuses as messages to their contacts.
It’s the first sign we’ve seen of WhatsApp integration into Facebook, and it appears to be available to only a few users, who are probably beta testers. The WhatsApp button was spotted in the 31.0.0.7.13 version of Facebook’s Android app, and is nowhere to be found in v32. Luckily, some enterprising user posted a few screenshots, which were found by GeekTime, to give us an idea of how it works.
Typically, when you see a post on Facebook, you have the option to Like, Comment, or Share the post. With WhatsApp integration, you also get the option to send the post to one of your contacts with the click of a dedicated button. If Facebook does place a WhatsApp button in its app, it could make it easier for users to share Facebook stories with their friends more quickly. After all, most people check their text messages much more often than they do their Facebook alerts.
Of course, WhatsApp integration could also prove to be a double edged sword for Facebook, in that it could take users away from using Facebook Messenger to share updates quickly. Regardless, the feature is still just in testing, so it’s too early to say what kind of impact it will have on the social network’s plans for world domination. Rumors also indicate that Facebook’s plans for WhatsApp integration likely extend far beyond simple messaging implications into the realm of online voice calls and advertising.
