WhatsApp Update Enables Larger Media Previews in Chats: Details

WhatsApp now shows larger media previews in chats. A new update improves the display of sent media so that you can see larger image and video previews. This feature began rolling out to iOS users last month and now all users seem to be getting it, irrespective of the platform they are on. It looks to give a better view of all the content shared in chats, in order to not leave out important details due to cropping. Bigger media previews will let you scroll through chats without having to open the images or videos shared.

The instant messaging app took to Twitter to announce the rollout of larger media previews on WhatsApp. The tweet reads, “Photos and videos in WhatsApp are now even bigger, so no one will be left out of the picture! That's the perfect reason to smile”. There's a video attached to the tweet that shows how sent media now has a larger preview than before. The photo preview seems to be much bigger than the small, square-shaped preview that appeared on the previous version of the app. The tweet does not offer details on the platforms the feature is being rollout out for, hinting that this has been enabled across all platforms that WhatsApp is available on.

WhatsApp for iOS users started getting this feature with version 2.21.71. It should be rolling out to other platforms too, and Android users can update the app to the latest version and try to send any media to see the changes.

Recently, the WhatsApp-powered MyGov Corona Helpdesk chatbot for Indian users has added a new functionality to make it easier for people to search for vaccination centres in their locality. This chatbot was launched last year to help eradicate fake news and spread awareness about COVID-19, and has managed to cross 1.7 crore users in just 10 days of launch.