WhatsApp tests 2x playback for video Status on iOS beta
By Aboki Forex —
WhatsApp is testing 2x video playback for Status updates, a change that lets users watch lengthy videos at twice their normal speed without leaving the app or touching their settings.
The feature was spotted in the WhatsApp beta for iOS 26.36.10.70, distributed through Apple's TestFlight programme, according to WABetaInfo. It is currently reaching selected iOS beta testers only.
How the 2x playback works
There is no toggle to find and no setting to change. A user opens a video Status, presses and holds the right side of the screen, and playback jumps immediately to 2x speed. Lift the finger and the video returns to normal speed.
That gesture can be used as many times as a viewer likes while watching the same Status, so users can speed through one section and slow down for another. Anyone who spends time on TikTok, Instagram or YouTube will find the control familiar, since those platforms use similar press-and-hold shortcuts.
The option is not tied to Status videos that carry music. It is designed to work with video Status updates generally.
Longer music clips raised the pressure
The playback control arrives shortly after another Status upgrade on iOS. WhatsApp recently began rolling out longer music clips for Status, allowing users to select clips of up to 30 seconds. Music clips were previously fixed at 15 seconds, which gave users less control over how long a soundtrack ran alongside a Status.
Longer clips mean longer Status updates, and a queue of them can eat into a user's time. The 2x option gives viewers a way to move through those updates faster rather than skipping them outright.
WhatsApp is separately testing support for up to four pinned messages in chats and groups, up from the current limit of three, a small change aimed at busy conversations.
When Android and all iPhone users get it
No date has been announced for a full iPhone rollout, and there is no confirmed timeline for Android. Availability will depend on how WhatsApp's testing process goes.
For now, the feature sits with a limited group of iOS beta testers running the latest TestFlight build. For those who already have it, the change is modest but practical. Instead of abandoning a long Status halfway, a viewer can simply press, hold and speed through it.
For Nigerian users who follow dozens of Status updates daily, the value is mostly in time saved on data-heavy video viewing, though nothing about the feature reduces data consumption. Data used stays the same whether a video plays at normal or double speed.