In some good news for Android users, the Meta-owned instant messaging platform WhatsApp is reportedly working on a new AI-powered feature to expand photos to the 9:16 format. Meta AI will expand the photo by generating content around the edges. The feature will be available directly in the drawing editor screen.
“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,” WABetaInfo, a website that tracks WhatsApp reported.
“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,” it added.
According to the report, users who want to expand a photo will need to open it in WhatsApp’s drawing editor.
They can then scroll down to the Filters section to find the editing options. In a future update, WhatsApp is expected to add a new option for expanding photos.
Once users select the option, Meta AI will analyse the photo and generate an expanded version.
After a few seconds, the instant messaging app will present the image in a 9:16 format. Users can then share the expanded photo or try the process again if they are not satisfied with the result.
The report further explained that 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 report says that the feature that will let users expand their photos using Meta AI is currently under development on Android. As of now, WhatsApp has not shared when this feature will be available to the public and which regions it will support at launch.
