WhatsApp Rolls Out Live Photos, AI Chat Themes, & More In Latest Update: Key Features

In a fresh wave of innovations, WhatsApp has rolled out a suite of features with its latest update. The update introduces support for animated photos, AI-driven customisations, fresh sticker collections, streamlined group navigation, and Android-native document scanning. These enhancements are rolling out gradually to users worldwide on both iOS and Android.

One of the standout additions is the native support for Live Photos on iOS and Motion Photos on Android. These short, sound-enabled clips capture a few seconds before and after the moment, transforming static images into vivid, replayable snippets. Whether it's a child's first steps or a spontaneous laugh, users can now share these richer moments seamlessly across platforms, ensuring the energy isn't lost in translation.

Meta AI takes center stage in this update, empowering users to tailor their chats like never before. Dive into custom chat themes by simply providing a prompt—Meta AI generates unique designs based on your ideas, from serene sunsets to whimsical patterns. Extending this flair to video calls and in-chat media, the AI also crafts dynamic backgrounds for calls or overlays them on photos and videos taken directly in the app. Note that Meta AI features are initially available in select languages including English, Arabic, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese, with broader rollout planned.

Expressiveness gets a boost with three new sticker packs - Fearless Bird for bold vibes, School Days for nostalgic fun, and Vacation for wanderlust moods. These adorable sets let you convey emotions without typing a word. Meanwhile, finding group chats just got easier—search for a contact in the Chats tab, and WhatsApp surfaces all shared groups, banishing the frustration of forgotten names.

Android users can rejoice as this update brings the long-awaited document scanner, mirroring iOS capabilities. Snap, crop, save, and send docs straight from the app—no more app-switching mid-conversation.