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WhatsApp Developing Offline File Sharing Similar To AirDrop
The new beta feature for iOS and Android will be called Nearby Share, and allows users to share files offline with nearby devices.
Popular messaging platform WhatsApp is working on a new feature that will significantly improve the way users share files. According to WABetaInfo, the upcoming file-sharing update will allow users to send documents, photos, videos, and other files to nearby devices without needing an internet connection. The feature will be available for both Android and iOS devices, though both versions are currently still in beta.
WABetaInfo’s report included an image showing a scanner interface that will facilitate the sharing of various file types. The new feature, named Nearby Share, will function similarly to Apple’s AirDrop, with the iOS version using a QR code for file sharing and Android devices also utilizing proximity detection technology.
The introduction of offline file sharing is a significant step forward for WhatsApp, and especially helpful for users in areas with patchy internet access. Nearby Share will be particularly useful for transferring large files, such as high-resolution images, videos, and important documents.
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Eventually, the new feature is expected to be compatible with most operating systems, regardless of device type. Additionally, the transfers will be end-to-end encrypted, ensuring that only the intended recipients can access the shared data, helping to maintain user privacy and security.
It’s important to note that Nearby Share is still in its early stages. As the development continues, the final product may see changes or improvements from the current beta version. It is also possible that the iOS version may eventually adopt functionality similar to the Android one, relying on proximity detection instead of QR code scanning.
News
LUVED Is A New Curated Preloved Marketplace For The UAE
Sellers keep 100 percent of every sale and AI can build a listing in five seconds — though the app’s smartest tools are still coming.
Secondhand shopping has become mainstream in the UAE, but the experience is still scattered across resale sites, social media and informal group chats. LUVED, a mobile-first marketplace that launched in Dubai this month, is betting it can pull that activity into one place — and that the thing buyers and sellers actually want is not more inventory, but trust.
The app trades in what it calls circular luxury: preloved fashion and lifestyle pieces across men’s, women’s and children’s categories, bought, sold or given away peer to peer. Its main pitch is economics, with sellers keeping 100 percent of every sale under a zero-commission, fast payout model, while buyers are promised vetted pieces at lower prices.
Where LUVED is staking its reputation is verification. Sellers pass a KYC check, and items run through a two-layer authentication system powered by Entrupy that pairs instant AI screening with human expert review for high-value pieces. Authenticity certificates travel with each item, payments sit in escrow, and a buyer-protection package the company calls The Safety Net adds a 48-hour return window and dispute resolution. Door-to-door logistics removes the in-person meetups that make most resale deals awkward.
An in-app assistant called Luvbot — offering selling insights and demand-based recommendations — is soon to be introduced to the platform. Other features include autofill and dynamic pricing that lets users build a listing in as little as five seconds from three photos, plus a swipe-based feed, story-style drops and in-app chat in English and Arabic. Finally, a gifting layer, Luved & Gifted, lets users pass items to others inside the app rather than sell them.
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“After moving to Dubai, I saw how difficult it was to sell or even give things away,” says founder and CEO Shaima Sibtain. The friction is real, and so is the competition. In resale, trust is won transaction by transaction — and that is the test LUVED has set itself.
The app is live on the App Store now, with Google Play to follow. The company also plans to expand across the region, which will be the real test for a marketplace staking everything on trust.
