Highlights
- Recently, Beta Channel Insiders began to receive content sharing to WhatsApp using the Windows share button.
- On Windows, very few apps allow you to use the share button.
- On the other hand, a lot of apps for iOS and Android integrate with comparable features on those platforms.
The depressing status of developer relations with Microsoft is highlighted in a recent Insider edition of Windows 11. Recently, Windows 11 Build 22635.2850 was made available to Insiders in the Beta Channel. This build allows users to publish material to WhatsApp directly from the Windows share button. With a few taps, you can share a webpage or other material with certain apps thanks to this capability, although not all apps support it.
The share button is functional with several Microsoft apps, including Outlook, LinkedIn, and Skype. The feature is also supported by X (previously Twitter) and Facebook. However, a good number of apps—including Telegram and Microsoft Edge’s Drop feature—do not work with the share button.
Microsoft refers to the feature officially as the “Share using” section in their blog post regarding the availability, of Build 22635.2850 and WhatsApp support.
Microsoft’s difficulties collaborating with developers
Years ago, Microsoft enabled app integration via the share button. It’s not as though the feature was simply released by the corporation. It appears from the support document that adding the feature is not too difficult. What is the reason behind the prolonged duration for testing WhatsApp functionality via the share button? Questions Meta. Developers are responsible for including the required code in their apps.
It is disappointing that share button support is currently only under testing. For a long time, iOS and Android have had comparable features. You may point the finger at Meta and other businesses for not implementing new Windows features, or you can blame Microsoft for not being as convincing as Apple and Google, but the truth remains the same. The amount of effort developers put into utilizing Windows 11 features is nowhere close to what it is for iOS and Android.
On December 8, 2023, Windows 11 Build 22635.2850—which included the ability to share over WhatsApp—was released to Beta Channel Insiders. The inclusion started a discussion about Windows’ share button on Reddit.
The question “Why is the share button so useless?” was posed by Beautiful_Car8681 on Reddit. They also stated that “there are so many other programs (Telegram, Discord) that are not available with the share feature and even basic features like Bluetooth or Drop (the latter share files between Desktop and Android).”
They pose a valid query, particularly in regard to features that Microsoft offers. Given that certain Microsoft programs do not support the share button, why should Meta and other businesses be concerned about integrating with it?
Read about Microsoft Windows 10 Update.