WhatsApp could soon show you an upload and download ETA when sharing files on iOS

Whatsapp Group Message on iPhone X (Image credit: Luke Filipowicz/iMore)

What you need to know

WhatsApp is testing a change that will display a file transfer ETA.
People will be able to see how long an upload or download will take.
WhatsApp is already testing file transfers of up to 2GB in size.

WhatsApp is testing a change on its mobile apps that will allow people to see how long it will take to download or upload a file attachment. The move has already been made on the desktop versions of its apps but a new report notes that the same feature is now being tested on iOS, too.

The new feature is now available to some WhatsApp beta testers and will surely be rolled out to people using the App Store version of the app eventually. With the change in place, those uploading or downloading files will be able to see an ETA for when that transmission will be completed. Those sending or receiving large files will benefit here, with WhatsApp also readying file transfers of up to 2GB in size.

A new WABetaInfo report notes that the change is rolling out to both iOS and Android beta testers.

As you can see in this attached screenshot, we are uploading a document and there is a new ETA label in the chat bubble, under the document name. This information lets us understand when the document should be completely sent or downloaded on our device. This feature is very useful, in particular for those beta testers in Argentina that are able to share documents up to 2GB.

Whastapp Beta File Transfer Eta (Image credit: WABetaInfo)

WhatsApp is undoubtedly one of the best iPhone and Mac apps for communicating with people who are using Android and Windows — thanks mainly due to their inability to use iMessage. Tweaks like this won't be huge in the grand scheme of things, of course. But the cumulation of multiple small quality of life improvements, like a transfer ETA, shouldn't be undervalued.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.