New Delhi: WhatsApp is introducing a new artificial intelligence-powered image editing feature that will allow users to expand photographs beyond their original borders without using a separate photo-editing application. Powered by Meta AI, the feature can generate additional background details around an existing image, making it easier to adjust photographs for WhatsApp chats and Status updates.
The new tool is gradually reaching select iPhone users and is designed to make photo editing more convenient within WhatsApp itself. Instead of cropping an image or stretching it to fit a particular screen format, users will be able to use artificial intelligence to generate additional visual content around the original photograph.
According to a report published by India Today on November 6, 2026, the feature is being introduced through WhatsApp’s built-in drawing editor. It can expand photographs into a vertical 9:16 format, which is particularly useful for users who want to share pictures through WhatsApp Status.
The development is part of Meta’s wider effort to integrate artificial intelligence into its applications and make AI-powered tools available during everyday activities such as messaging, sharing photographs and creating content.
WhatsApp brings AI image expansion into its editing tool
The new image expansion feature is designed to solve a common problem faced by smartphone users. Sometimes, a photograph captures the main subject but leaves out important background details. In other situations, an image may have a landscape or square orientation that does not fit the vertical format preferred by social media platforms.
Traditionally, users would need to open a separate photo-editing application to adjust the image. They might crop the photograph, change its dimensions or use editing tools to fill the empty spaces around it.
WhatsApp’s new feature aims to simplify this process.
Using Meta AI, the application will analyse the existing photograph and generate additional visual content around its edges. The generated areas are intended to look like a natural continuation of the original scene.
For example, a user who has taken a landscape photograph may want to share it as a full-screen vertical Status update. Instead of cutting out parts of the photograph, the AI tool can generate additional background space to fit the required dimensions.
This could make the feature useful for people who regularly share travel photographs, family pictures, event images and other visual content.
How the Meta AI image expansion feature works
The image expansion tool will be integrated into WhatsApp’s existing drawing and editing interface.
When users select a photograph to share in an individual or group chat, WhatsApp opens its built-in editing screen. This interface already includes options for adding text, drawings, stickers and other visual effects.
The new AI-powered option will appear alongside these existing editing tools.
The process is expected to work in the following way:
- Select a photograph: Open a WhatsApp chat and choose the image that needs editing.
- Open the drawing editor: The selected photograph will appear in WhatsApp’s built-in editing interface.
- Choose image expansion: Select the new AI-powered expansion option.
- Allow Meta AI to process the image: The system will analyse the photograph and generate additional content around its original boundaries.
- Preview the result: Users can examine the expanded photograph before sharing it.
- Undo if necessary: If the generated background does not look satisfactory, users can restore the original image and try again.
According to the report, the AI processing may take a few seconds.
Importantly, WhatsApp will not automatically send the edited photograph. Users will be able to review the generated result and decide whether they want to share it.
This preview-and-undo approach gives users greater control over the final image and reduces the risk of accidentally sharing an unwanted AI-generated edit.
Why the 9:16 image format matters
One of the key features of WhatsApp’s new tool is its ability to expand photographs into a vertical 9:16 format.
This aspect ratio is widely used for smartphone screens and full-screen social media content. WhatsApp Status, in particular, is designed around a vertical viewing experience.
However, photographs captured using smartphone cameras can have different dimensions. A landscape image may not fill the entire Status screen, while a square photograph may leave empty spaces when displayed vertically.
Users often address this issue by cropping the image, which can remove important details or parts of the subject.
The AI expansion feature offers another option. Rather than changing the original photograph’s proportions, Meta AI generates additional visual details around it to create a larger composition.
For instance, a photograph of a person standing near a beach could be expanded by generating more of the surrounding beach and sky. Similarly, an indoor photograph could be extended by adding background details that appear consistent with the original setting.
The quality of the result will depend on how accurately the AI interprets the photograph and generates the missing areas.
Although the feature could make image sharing easier, AI-generated portions may not always reproduce the original scene perfectly. Users should therefore examine the expanded photograph before publishing or forwarding it.
Feature gradually rolling out to iPhone users
The new tool is not yet available to every WhatsApp user.
According to WABetaInfo, which tracks upcoming WhatsApp features, the image expansion option is reaching selected iPhone users through WhatsApp beta for iOS version 26.44.10.16.
The beta version is being distributed through Apple’s TestFlight programme.
Some users running the public version of WhatsApp downloaded from the App Store have also reportedly received access to the feature.
This suggests that Meta is gradually testing the functionality with a limited audience before making it more widely available.
WhatsApp has not announced an official date for a global rollout. However, availability is expected to expand gradually over the coming weeks, according to the report.
Users who do not see the option in their application may have to wait until the company extends access to their accounts and devices.
Installing the latest version of WhatsApp may help users receive new features when they become eligible, but an update alone does not guarantee access during a phased rollout.
Android users may also receive the feature
Although the latest development focuses on iPhone users, the AI image expansion tool is not restricted to Apple’s ecosystem.
WhatsApp has also started introducing the feature to selected Android beta testers.
According to the report, the functionality is appearing in WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.26.44.8.
This indicates that Meta is working towards making the image editing capability available across both major mobile platforms.
However, the company has not confirmed a complete rollout schedule for Android or iOS users.
The phased testing process allows WhatsApp to assess how the feature performs on different devices and identify potential problems before expanding availability.
Meta’s broader push to integrate AI into WhatsApp
The introduction of AI-powered image expansion reflects Meta’s larger strategy of integrating artificial intelligence across its services.
Meta AI is being developed as an assistant that can support users with information, creative tasks and content generation. Bringing these capabilities directly into WhatsApp’s editing interface could make AI tools more accessible to people who may not regularly use dedicated AI applications.
For WhatsApp, the advantage is convenience. Users already rely on the platform to communicate and share photographs. Adding editing capabilities within the same application reduces the need to switch between multiple services.
The feature also demonstrates how AI is changing conventional smartphone photography. Editing tools that previously required manual adjustments or specialised applications are increasingly becoming automated.
Image expansion is one example of generative AI being used to modify photographs by creating visual information that was not captured by the camera.
However, users should remember that the expanded portions are AI-generated rather than part of the original photograph. This distinction can be important when images are used for news reporting, documentation or other situations where visual accuracy matters.
What WhatsApp users should expect
WhatsApp’s AI image expansion feature could be particularly useful for people who frequently share photographs through Status updates and chats.
The ability to convert landscape or square images into vertical compositions without simply cropping them may make everyday photo sharing easier.
The preview and undo options also allow users to decide whether the generated result meets their expectations before sending it.
For now, the feature remains limited to selected beta testers and some users receiving early access. WhatsApp has not confirmed when it will become available to everyone.
As Meta continues to integrate AI into its applications, users can expect more editing and content-generation tools to become part of familiar messaging experiences.
The new image expansion feature may appear to be a small addition, but it represents a broader shift towards making artificial intelligence a routine part of how people create, edit and share digital content.