WhatsApp Just Borrowed this iPhone Feature, And It’s Surprisingly Good
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While most modern features you can think of are already available on WhatsApp, one notable omission has been native support for Live Photos and Motion Photos, which are features native to iOS and Android, respectively. Years after these capabilities were introduced, Meta is finally adding this functionality to its biggest messaging platform.
Alongside this long-awaited addition of moving pictures, WhatsApp is also receiving a host of other new features and quality-of-life improvements.
For context, Live Photos on iOS and Motion Photos on Android are essentially a hybrid file format, combining a still image with a short video clip, similar to a GIF. Unlike most GIFs, however, they can also include sound. This format is useful for capturing more of a scene than a static shot allows, and it gives users the ability to select and export a specific frame from the motion.
Share and View Live Photos on WhatsApp
As announced in a blog post, Meta says WhatsApp users can now share and view these moving photos natively within the app. This works for both iPhone's Live Photos and Android's Motion Photos. It also appears that these formats will be viewable cross-platform, meaning an iPhone Live Photo can be viewed on WhatsApp for Android, and vice versa, though I have yet to test this functionality myself.
However, I strongly suspect that cross-platform viewing will work, as WhatsApp will likely convert the files into a generic moving image format. This approach would be similar to how Google Photos handles Live Photos, converting them for seamless viewing on Android devices.
WhatsApp Gains Smarter Search and AI Themes
Beyond support for live photos, WhatsApp is improving its search functionality for group chats. Previously, it was often a pain to find specific groups, especially if you couldn't remember the exact name. Now, you can search using the names of group members, and the search results will pull up the relevant chats.
The update also introduces new AI-generated themes that is integrated with Chat Themes. These can be applied as wallpapers in both individual and group chats or used as custom backgrounds during video calls (called AI backgrounds).
Meanwhile, for Android users, Meta is adding support for scanning, cropping, saving, and sending documents directly within the app, bringing a feature that was previously on iPhones. This is a convenient tool for managing important documents for work or in formal conversations.
Not all features will arrive at the same time. Meta has not provided a specific rollout date, but the wait is not expected to be long. Are you looking forward to using any of these new features? Let us know in the comments.
