WhatsApp Adds Facebook-Style Cover Photos to Personal Profiles

WhatsApp has started rolling out cover photos for personal profiles, bringing a feature familiar from Facebook to everyday users. The option is appearing for some Android beta testers in version 2.26.43.11, available through Google Play, according to the WABetaInfo tracker.

Until now, cover images were limited to WhatsApp Business accounts, which could display a wide banner at the top of their profile. The new update lets ordinary users use the feature without converting to a business account. The company is expected to widen availability to more users over the coming weeks.

How it works

The cover photo appears as a horizontal strip above the profile picture, so users can keep their current photo and add a second image rather than replacing it. It also shows at the top of the Settings page. If no image is chosen, WhatsApp displays a default one.

To add a cover, users open their profile, tap edit, and pick a picture from the camera or gallery, or generate one with the Meta AI tool. The app then crops the image automatically to fit the wide format, so no manual resizing is needed, though the final look depends on the crop.

Privacy controls

Who sees the cover is up to the user, with four options: everyone, contacts only, everyone except selected people, or nobody. "Everyone" is the default once the feature is enabled. The "nobody" setting hides the image from all users without deleting it.

The cover will also appear on the chat info screen, above the contact's profile picture, name and phone number. WhatsApp automatically hides it from anyone the owner's privacy settings exclude.

The feature gives users another way to personalize their profiles while keeping control over visibility. Broader rollout beyond the beta is expected in the coming weeks.