WhatsApp is exploring a new AI-powered tool to expand photos
WhatsApp is working on a new AI-powered feature to expand photos to the 9:16 format on Android. Meta AI will expand the photo by generating content around the edges. The feature will be available directly in the drawing editor screen, making it part of the same editing workflow users already know.
| Key Points | Details |
|---|---|
| Feature: | AI-powered photo expansion |
| Status: | Under development |
| Availability info: | This feature is currently in development and not yet available for beta testing. |
| Previous news: | WhatsApp is testing a feature to add new options to polls! |
WhatsApp introduced AI-powered editing tools for photos
In the post about the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.25.36.12 update, we announced that new editing capabilities available in the drawing editor. In this screen, users can apply artistic styles like 3D, Anime, or Cartoon to transform their images. Users can also add or remove elements from an image, reimagine the whole composition with a text prompt, or animate a static photo to make it move. These tools make it easier for users to transform their photos without relying on other apps.
WhatsApp is working on a new option to expand photos using Meta AI
The drawing editor is about to get one more capability. WhatsApp is working on a new option to expand a photo to the 9:16 format using Meta AI. We spotted this feature with the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.26.33.2 update from the Google Play Store. Specifically, WhatsApp is developing an AI-powered photo expansion tool that fits any image into the 9:16 format. This makes photo editing more powerful without adding complexity to the workflow.
How the new option to expand photos will work on WhatsApp
Users who want to expand a photo will need to open it in the drawing editor. Here, they can scroll down in the filters section to find the editing options. In a future update, users will find a new option to expand their photos. Once users select this option, Meta AI analyses the photo and processes it to generate its expanded version. After a few seconds, WhatsApp presents the photo in the 9:16 format. At that point, users can share the new photo or repeat the process if they do not like the result.
Why WhatsApp expands photos to the 9:16 format
The 9:16 format is the standard for vertical full-screen content. It fills the entire screen on a smartphone, which is exactly what a status update should look like. A square photo or a landscape shot shows empty space at the top and bottom when users share it as a status. Users who want their status updates to fill the screen may have to crop the photo and lose part of the image. The new option to expand photo will address this issue by adding content around the photo instead of cutting it.
What Meta AI does to expand a photo
When users will expand their photos, Meta AI does not simply stretch the image since this would distort the original content. Instead, it analyses what is already in the photo to generate new content around the edges. Meta AI looks at the surroundings to create a plausible extension of that scene. Meta AI makes the expanded photo fit the 9:16 format, even if the original was square or landscape. The quality of the expansion depends on how much context the original image provides.
The option to expand photos will work for both chats and status updates
At the moment, WhatsApp is building this feature for both chats and status updates. This makes sense since the drawing editor is accessible from both places. However, WhatsApp may not roll out the feature to both at the same time. It is possible that the option to expand photos will initially become available to status updates, where the 9:16 format is most relevant. WhatsApp could then extend this functionality to chats at a later date. This would follow the same path as the other editing tools in the drawing editor, which launched for status updates first.
WhatsApp is developing the Expand feature for a future Android update
The feature that will let users expand their photos using Meta AI is currently under development on Android. This means that the update does not offer access to this feature for beta testers. We expect the feature to become available to beta testers in a future update. At the moment, WhatsApp has not shared when this feature will be available to the public and which regions it will support at launch.
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