Latest WhatsApp Update Touts Instagram and Facebook Video Support - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Latest WhatsApp Update Touts Instagram and Facebook Video Support

by

whatsappWhatsApp for iOS has been updated to support inline Instagram and Facebook video playback, according to the messaging platform's latest release notes.

YouTube videos have been playable for some time in WhatsApp, which also offers a Picture-in-Picture mode for continuing to watch while switching between chat threads. However, clicking on an Instagram or Facebook video link kicks users out of the app and into the respective hosting platform.

The WhatsApp changelog for version 2.18.51 indicates support for Facebook and Instagram videos has now been greenlighted by the developers, although our tests suggest the feature is still being rolled out.

The group administrator functions have also been tweaked in the latest version of the app, so that group admins can now revoke admin rights from other participants. To remove an admin, select the user in "Group Info" and select "Dismiss As Admin".

In addition, group admins can now choose who can change a group's subject, icon, and description. These options can also be found in Group Info under the "Group Settings" section.

At the recent Facebook F8 developers conference, CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed WhatsApp will soon support group video calling, although he offered no timeline for the feature's introduction. The messaging platform is also set to support stickers "soon", including third-party ones made by developers.

Top Rated Comments

103 months ago
If only people knew how good telegram is, if only :|
I am sorry but it is not. It is more or less the same. No encryption by default and when it is encrypted (secret chat) the encryption method is dubious. Take into account the metadata collection and not fully open-source nature and you get a messenger that is almost identical to WhatsApp. I have to say that the client is responsive and offers nice features though. WhatsApp on the other hand is encrypted by default, but closed-source and the metadata is sent to Facebook.

If you want something that protects your privacy you can simply use Signal, Wire (a tiny bit more metadata collection), riot.im (with your own server)/XMPP, Briar/Ricochet/Tox, et cetera. Signal currently being the one with the most users.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
103 months ago
I read this as less secure, knowing Facebook.....or isn't it.
I suspect this has something to do with why Jan Koum recently left ('https://www.macrumors.com/2018/04/30/whatsapp-cofounder-leaves-facebook/'). While your WhatsApp chats remain encrypted, this sort of use would be treated as browsing history, which is likely open for WhatsApp to use. They’ll be able to use this data to begin to build a profile of your interests as a precursor to showing ads within WhatsApp.

See this note from Barclays ('https://twitter.com/amitranjan/status/991571393392381953?s=21') on Jan Koum’s departure.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
103 months ago
I meant Telegram is better when you look at the way you access it from your desktops, and doesn't rely on your phone mirroring it to the browser. Plus, as you said it is very responsive.

For privacy, I think Threema is the best option out there.
https://threema.ch/en

Thanks for the list though.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
haruhiko Avatar
103 months ago
A new way of connecting the two databases together.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
justperry Avatar
103 months ago
I read this as less secure, knowing Facebook.....or isn't it.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

imac video apple feature

Apple Released Yet Another New Product Today

Friday March 20, 2026 2:39 pm PDT by
Apple has unveiled a whopping nine new products so far this March, including an iPhone 17e, iPad Air models with the M4 chip, MacBook Air models with the M5 chip, MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the all-new MacBook Neo, an updated Studio Display, a higher-end Studio Display XDR, AirPods Max 2, and now the Nike Powerbeats Pro 2. iPhone 17e features the same overall design as...
iPhone 18 Pro Deep Red Feature

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Wednesday March 18, 2026 7:39 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another six months or so, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. It was initially reported that the iPhone 18 Pro models would have fully under-screen Face ID, with only a front camera visible in the top-left corner of the screen. However, the latest rumors indicate that only one Face ID component...
ios 26 4 pastel

iOS 26.4: Top 10 New Features Coming to Your iPhone

Friday March 20, 2026 2:44 pm PDT by
iOS 26.4 isn't the major update with new Siri features that we hoped for, but there are some useful quality of life improvements, and a little bit of fun with an AI playlist generator and new emoji characters. Playlist Playground - Apple Music has a Playlist Playground option that lets you generate playlists from text-based descriptions. You can include moods, feelings, activities, or...
Related Apple News: Iphone | Lifestyle | Culture | South Africa | Local News