WhatsApp Starts Rolling Out Profile Pictures in iOS Message Notifications

WhatsApp is testing a helpful new feature on iOS that displays profile pictures in system notifications when users receive new messages from chats and groups.

whatsapp notification

Image credit: WABetaInfo

First spotted by app specialist WABetaInfo, the first new feature for the platform in 2022 uses APIs in iOS 15 to add the WhatsApp profile images to notifications in top-screen banners and in the Notification Center when users receive a message.

WhatsApp on Android has been able to display the profile pictures in system notifications for some time, so this change brings parity to the app across both platforms.

If you don't see the profile pictures in your notifications yet, that's because WhatsApp is first making the change for beta testers so they can report bugs, before the feature is rolled out to millions of users on iOS devices worldwide.

The last update to WhatsApp came in December, and was a privacy change to prevent people on the messaging platform from viewing the "Last Seen" status of users whom they have never chatted with.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
Generic iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Soon With These New Features for Your iPhone

Tuesday March 25, 2025 6:45 am PDT by
Apple is expected to release iOS 18.4 to the general public as soon as next week, following more than a month of beta testing. Apple's website says some iOS 18.4 features will be released in "early April," so the update should be out as early as Tuesday, April 1. Apple this week seeded the iOS 18.4 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, barring the discovery of any...
ios 19 messages app

Here's What Apple's iOS 19 Messages App Might Look Like

Tuesday March 25, 2025 11:52 am PDT by
Leaker Jon Prosser today shared a mockup of what he says the Messages app will look like in iOS 19, demoing an interface with rounded, translucent bubble-shaped navigation buttons at the top and softer, rounder corners for the keyboard and word suggestions. Jon Prosser's Messages app mockup The return button, a button for going back to the Messages list, and the FaceTime button have a deeper...
iCloud General Feature Redux

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Receive a New Perk

Thursday March 20, 2025 12:01 am PDT by
If you pay for iCloud storage on your iPhone, Apple has a new perk for you, at no additional cost. The new perk is the ability to create invitations in the Apple Invites app for the iPhone, which launched in the App Store last month. In the Apple Invites app, iCloud+ subscribers can create invitations for any occasion, such as birthday parties, graduations, baby showers, and more. Anyone ...
airpods max 2024 colors

Don't Buy Into Apple's Hype About AirPods Max Gaining Lossless Audio

Monday March 24, 2025 4:24 pm PDT by
Apple today announced that AirPods Max with a USB-C port will be gaining support for lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio with a firmware update next month, alongside the release of iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS 15.4. For context, audio files are typically compressed to keep file sizes smaller. There are lossy compression standards like MP3 and AAC (Advanced Audio Codec), which...
Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock

Gurman: Jon Prosser's iOS 19 Mockups 'Aren't Representative' of Redesign

Tuesday March 25, 2025 4:47 pm PDT by
The iOS 19 mockup images that leaker Jon Prosser shared today are not representative of the actual iOS 19 design, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on social media. According to Gurman, the images that are "floating around" are based on "very old builds" or "vague descriptions," and are lacking key features. Gurman says that we can "expect more from Apple in June." Gurman made the same comment ...
Apple Lumon Terminal Pro

Apple's Mac Site Features Fictional 'Lumon Terminal Pro'

Wednesday March 26, 2025 12:19 pm PDT by
Apple is going all out with promotions for the popular Severance Apple TV+ show today, and as of right now, you'll find a new "Lumon Terminal Pro" listed on Apple's Mac site. The Lumon Terminal Pro is designed to look similar to the machines that Severance employees like Mark S. and Helly R. use for macrodata refinement. The Terminal features a blue keyboard, a small display with wide...
Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light

iOS 19 Again Rumored to Feature visionOS-Like 'Glassy' Design

Tuesday March 25, 2025 3:25 pm PDT by
Leaker Jon Prosser today shared a "first look" at Apple's upcoming iOS 19 update, providing mockups of what different apps and features will supposedly look like. Prosser claims the mockups are based on "the real deal" version of iOS 19 that he has seen, but says he is sharing replica images in order to prevent his sources from getting into trouble. Confusingly, Prosser's video features some ...

Top Rated Comments

TFK. Avatar
42 months ago
Now please fix the poor photo sharing resolution rate -.-"
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kiranmk2 Avatar
42 months ago
Where's that iPad app?
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iDento Avatar
42 months ago

I wish I could get away from WhatsApp, but so many people use it. I have got some Android family members on Viber. What's the best alternative?
My relatives and friends all use WhatsApp, even people with iPhones.

Apple should either make an iMessage app for Android and Windows, or they can just make an app that aggregates all texting apps into it, like how Files app works with OneDrive and Dropbox.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
conradolson Avatar
42 months ago

I wish I could get away from WhatsApp, but so many people use it. I have got some Android family members on Viber. What's the best alternative?
Signal. In the past few years the app as got a lot slicker. It has all the features that WhatsApp and it works really well.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Christoffee Avatar
42 months ago
I wish I could get away from WhatsApp, but so many people use it. I have got some Android family members on Viber. What's the best alternative?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
akbarali.ch Avatar
42 months ago

I wish I could get away from WhatsApp, but so many people use it. I have got some Android family members on Viber. What's the best alternative?
Telegram, i suppose. Even i'm trying to get away from it.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)