WhatsApp is testing an offline file-transfer option for iOS that functions like Apple's AirDrop.

This feature, previously in development for Android, has now appeared in the WhatsApp iOS beta. Dubbed "Nearby share," it's similar to AirDrop, with a few extra steps, WABetaInfo reports.

Using “Nearby share,” iOS users can transfer documents, photos, videos, and other files to nearby devices—including Android phones—without an internet connection. But while "Nearby share" automatically detects nearby devices on Android, iOS users currently need to scan a QR code to initiate file transfers.

Still, as WABetaInfo notes, "this feature is in an early stage of development," so the final iOS version might work the same way it does on Android.

The main benefit here is the ability to quickly share larger files, from photos to videos. The beta doesn't get into file size limits, though.

"Nearby Share" was previously the name Google used for its version of AirDrop, but Google's Nearby Share merged with Samsung's Quick Share in January and changed its name.

WhatsApp is also experimenting with several new features for its Meta AI chatbot, from editing photos using simple text prompts to generating 3D AI avatars from uploaded photos.