WhatsApp has started showing iOS users a small preview of the last-shared photo, video or sticker in the chat list. Previously, only the label “Photo” or “Video” was visible, while the new feature makes it possible to identify the media content without opening the chat.
The feature, which was tested on Android, has been rolled out to iOS with version 26.34.74 on the App Store. The update is currently active for some users; those who cannot see the previews even after installing the update will need to wait for the feature to be enabled for them in the coming weeks.
Why it matters
This change reduces the need to open a chat to understand what type of media is present in which conversation in the chat list. As a result, it provides more visual context before accessing content, particularly in conversations with frequent photo, video and sticker sharing. However, because the feature is not being enabled for all iOS users at the same time, not everyone who installs the App Store version is expected to have the same experience; the absence of previews may be related to access not yet having been assigned to the account. The fact that it is still in testing on Android also shows that the update has not reached the same level of availability across platforms. Therefore, the practical impact of the change remains limited to iOS users who use the supported media types and for whom the feature has been enabled on their account.
Background
Android is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: we have published 14 reports mentioning the name in the last 90 days; the most recent was dated 12 September 2026.