WhatsApp’s AI photo expansion is in iPhone beta testing

WhatsApp is testing an AI photo expansion tool on iPhone. The tool uses Meta AI to extend a photo’s edges so it fills a vertical 9:16 frame. It has reached some beta testers, and no official announcement from WhatsApp or Meta has been published yet.

The details come from WABetaInfo, a site that tracks WhatsApp beta builds. It found the feature in WhatsApp beta for iOS 26.44.10.16, which is available through TestFlight.

Users pick expand in the drawing editor, and nothing sends until they tap send

Users open a photo in a chat, and WhatsApp opens its drawing editor. They pick the expand option from the AI effects. Meta AI takes a few seconds to analyze the photo and generate the expanded version, which then appears in the editor. The tool also works in Status updates, the same place where WhatsApp ran AI image editing tests on iOS in December 2025.

Users can tap undo to restore the original, or run expand again for a different result. WhatsApp does not send the photo on its own. The beta report says results are more accurate when the photo has clear detail around its borders.

The same feature already appears in WhatsApp’s Android beta (version 2.26.44.8), under the Edit tab. It only shows up for photos that aren’t already in a supported format, so a square 1:1 photo is a good way to check for it.

Apple’s Extend already does something similar on iPhone

Apple’s Extend, one of the new AI editing tools in iOS 27 Photos, creates new visual details around the edges of a photo. It needs an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence. WhatsApp has been adding AI tools in steps. In March, it began testing a dedicated Meta AI tab that groups its AI features in one place.

The beta report gives no release date, only that more testers will get the feature over the coming weeks. It also says some App Store users can already use it, without naming countries or versions. The report does not say whether photos are processed on the phone or on Meta’s servers.