WhatsApp has outlined a range of recently added features which could give you some additional options to help connect in the app, including updated photo sharing, new chat themes, document scanning, AI video backgrounds, and more.
First off, WhatsApp says that both Live Photos (iOS) and Motion Photos (Android) can now be shared in the app.
Those are the multi-frame images, which move slightly when you hold down on the image in-stream. The addition provides another way to share content on WhatsApp, which could be an interesting engagement update.
WhatsApp’s also confirmed that its new chat themes, powered by Meta AI, are available to all users.
As per WhatsApp:
“Earlier this year, we introduced chat themes as a way to customize your chats. You can now use the power of Meta AI to boost your creativity, and make custom chat themes of your own.”
I mean, it's not your creativity, as such, but Meta AI's "creativity" in this respect. But semantics aside, more presentation options for your chats.
You can generate an image to use as your chat theme in your chat settings in WhatsApp, by selecting Settings> Chat> Default chat theme> Create with AI.
From there, you can describe the image that you’d like to create. Meta AI will then create a visual for you, which you can also edit and customize in-stream.
Note that you can also generate video call backgrounds via the same Meta AI process:
“Now you can use Meta AI to create unique backgrounds for your video calls to put you in your favorite surroundings or try something new. You can also add AI backgrounds when taking photos and videos directly in chats.”
WhatsApp’s more restrictive feature set has limited its capacity to integrate Meta’s full scope of creative AI tools, but it’s now getting more options, providing additional considerations for your chats.
WhatsApp’s also rolling out some new sticker packs, including Fearless Bird and Vacation sets, which will provide more ways to express yourself.
It’s also making it easier to search for relevant group chats (even if you can’t remember the actual name of the chat):
“Now, just search for someone you know that’s in the group in your Chats tab, and it will display the groups you have in common.”
Finally, WhatsApp’s also adding document scanning on Android (it added this on iOS back in April).
Some of these features had already been announced, but they are now more widely available, which should mean that all of these features are accessible in the latest version of the app.
