WhatsApp Rolls Out New Features for Messaging, Media Sharing and Personalisation

WhatsApp has announced a series of updates designed to enhance user experience, ranging from dynamic media sharing to smarter search functions and expanded personalisation tools. The new features, which began rolling out globally this week, are available on both iOS and Android devices, the company confirmed in a blog post.

Among the most notable changes is the introduction of Live Photos on iOS and Motion Photos on Android, giving users the ability to send images with both movement and sound. The update makes media sharing more immersive, allowing everyday moments to be captured and shared in a richer, more lifelike way.

Personalisation has also received a boost with the integration of customisation tools powered by Meta’s technology. Building on the recent release of Chat Themes, WhatsApp now allows users to generate personalised chat themes, enabling conversations to reflect individual styles. In addition, users can design custom video call backgrounds or create AI-generated scenes for photos and videos taken directly within chats.

The app is also expanding its expressive toolkit by introducing new sticker packs, including Fearless Bird, School Days and Vacation. These playful designs are intended to give users fresh ways to communicate emotion without using words.

On the functionality front, WhatsApp has improved how users search for groups. If someone cannot recall the name of a chat group, they can now look it up by searching for a contact within the group through the Chats tab. The app will then display all groups shared with that person, making navigation simpler and faster.

Android users will benefit from an additional productivity feature: an in-app document scanner. Previously available only on iPhones, the tool enables users to scan, crop, save and send documents without leaving the app, streamlining workflows for both professional and personal use.

Industry analysts note that the updates reflect WhatsApp’s ongoing effort to remain competitive in the global messaging market. With more than three billion users worldwide, the platform has steadily added new features to keep pace with evolving user habits, including the growing demand for multimedia communication and personalisation.

“WhatsApp has been steadily moving beyond simple text messaging, and these updates highlight how the app is positioning itself as a more dynamic and expressive communication tool,” said a Dubai-based digital consultant. “Features like motion photos and custom themes give users more creative control, while improvements like smarter group search and document scanning make the app more practical in daily life.”

The company has signalled that further innovations are on the way, with more features expected to be introduced in the coming months as it continues to refine both user convenience and creative expression on the platform.