Popular chat app WhatsApp dropped an update recently with some new features that have been slowly rolling out to users. The two biggest changes integrate some bigger aspects of iOS, finally giving iPhone-toting WhatsApp users parity with features that have long been a part of Apple’s own Messages and FaceTime.
Let’s take a look at how they work.
Picture-in-picture video
First up is support for picture-in-picture video, which means you can continue a WhatsApp-based video call while multitasking in iOS.
Simply swipe to return to the Home Screen mid-call, and the video stream will shrink into a floating window that can be dragged into your preferred corner of the screen, or entirely off-screen if all you need is the audio.
That gives you the chance to check on other apps without disrupting a call, a feature that already exists in many apps but has only recently been added in WhatsApp.
Custom stickers
The other notable update is the ability to cut out and save ‘stickers’ from your own photo library for use in your chats. This takes advantage of Apple’s impressive Select Subject feature, meaning you’ll need iOS 16 or higher to use it.
Simply find a photo in your camera roll with a clear subject – people and pets work best – and drag it into WhatsApp. To do this, long-press the subject until it ‘pops’ free from its background, then switch apps with another finger while still ‘holding’ the image you want to use as a sticker.
Drop it into WhatsApp, and instead of the usual photo attachment, you’ll be asked whether you’d like to convert it into a sticker. Agree and it will be added to your sticker library for future reuse.
Note that you’ll need the latest WhatsApp update for these new additions to work, and as the changes are rolling out slowly, some users might get access later than others. If the above tips don’t work, try again in a week.