WhatsApp adds support for Live Photos on iOS, Motion Photos and Document scanning on Android

Von [email protected] Loading...

WhatsApp has announced a couple of new features for Android and iOS.  You can now send Live Photos on iOS, and Motion Photos on Android.
You may be aware that WhatsApp already allows you to record videos as an animated GIF. Live Photos and Motion Photos are short-looped videos that you can capture, but it also has sound. So, how is that different from a regular video? Well, you have to tap on a video to play it. Live Photos and Motion Photos animate automatically as you scroll through the chat. You can also press and hold on it to view the animation. Live Photos include footage from a few seconds before and after the shutter button was tapped to take a photo.
I don’t have access to the feature on my iPhone or Android, it appears to be rolling out to users. A friend of mine was able to test it, apparently WhatsApp displays a pop-up about the new feature. Once you have access to Live Photos or Motion Photos, you’ll be able to send them to your family and friends. Oddly, even though I can’t send Live Photos, I was able to receive them just fine. The media has a Live Photo button, tapping on which plays or stops the animation.

Android users can now use WhatsApp’s Document Scanning feature. To access it, tap the attachment button, and select Scan Document. Point your camera at the document, and the app will it as a PDF that you can share with contacts. Document scanning is already available on iOS since April 2025.
Group Search in WhatsApp now allows you to search for contacts, and displays the groups that you have in common. You can also find common groups directly from a contact’s profile.
WhatsApp says that the update also adds new Meta AI features such as Chat Themes, you can now generate a custom theme for your chat. There is also an option to create a custom background for video calls. The update also adds 3 new sticker packs.
Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post WhatsApp adds support for Live Photos on iOS, Motion Photos and Document scanning on Android appeared first on gHacks Technology News.