WhatsApp keeps testing few of the several features that may or may not finally arrive on the app. However, these features are mostly made available to the beta users first before they make the debut on the stable version. The Facebook-owned company is now said to be working on a new feature that may eliminate the need to open the app every time someone sends an image to you. WhatsApp will offer a preview in the notification shade, even to download it if you haven’t turned on the auto-download settings.
According to a report by WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is testing a new “powerful extension” that is speculatively called ‘Notifications Extension’ as a part of the version 2.18.80 for iOS. It will let you watch select media content such as images and GIFs directly in the notification so you don’t have to open the app. Moreover, if the auto-download settings have been turned off, the WhatsApp notification will show a download button, after which you can preview the image.
The report further mentions that this feature is not live as of now and it will initially arrive on iOS. The WhatsApp version 2.18.80 for iOS will enable this feature sometime in future. In order to see the previews, the WhatsApp notification needs to be swiped down or enlarged, which could perhaps not work when you have more than one message in the notification. The report says that this feature will only work on iOS 10 and higher.