WhatsApp To Let Users Share Instagram and Facebook Reels, Stories Without Leaving the App

Meta is bringing its apps closer together, and WhatsApp is the latest to gain a new cross platform feature that lets users pull in photos, videos, Stories, posts and Reels from their Instagram and Facebook accounts without leaving the chat app, according to a report. The feature means users will no longer need to open Instagram or Facebook, download a piece of content and then switch back to WhatsApp just to share it with someone.

How The New Media Picker Feature Works

According to WABetaInfo, the feature allows users to access media from their linked Instagram and Facebook accounts directly through WhatsApp's existing media picker. It is currently being rolled out to a limited number of beta testers on the latest Android and iOS versions of WhatsApp, and Meta has not confirmed a timeline for a wider release. Mark Zuckerberg Bets Big on AI Wearables as Meta Unveils New Smart Glasses, AI Agent Push.

With the feature enabled, users can select content they have already posted on Instagram or Facebook, including Stories, posts and Reels, and share it straight into WhatsApp chats or use it while creating a WhatsApp Status update.

Instagram And Facebook Appear As New Media Sources

The feature shows up inside the media picker's list view, where Instagram and Facebook now appear as additional sources alongside the phone's regular gallery. A dropdown menu lets users switch between the two platforms and browse through the content available on their connected accounts. What Is Meta Muse? Meta’s New AI Agent Can Send Emails, Book Travel, and Shop for Users.

This is expected to be particularly useful for users who tend to post the same content across multiple Meta platforms, since it removes the extra step of downloading a Reel or post before uploading it again on WhatsApp.

Accounts Center Link Required To Use The Feature

To use this feature, users will need to connect their WhatsApp account to Meta's Accounts Center. This step remains optional, so those who prefer to keep WhatsApp separate from their other Meta accounts can continue using the app without linking anything.

WhatsApp had earlier integrated Accounts Center to support other cross platform functions, such as sharing WhatsApp Status updates directly to Instagram Stories and Facebook. The latest addition extends this integration further by allowing content to flow the other way, from Instagram and Facebook into WhatsApp.

Data Flows One Way, Encryption Remains Unaffected

An important detail here is that the integration only works in one direction. Instagram and Facebook can supply media to WhatsApp through linked accounts, but they do not get any access to media that is stored within WhatsApp itself.

The report also notes that connecting a WhatsApp account to Accounts Center does not affect the end-to-end encryption applied to personal messages and calls on the platform.

The feature remains in gradual rollout among beta users for now, so it may not yet be visible on every Android or iPhone device, and there is no confirmed date for a full public release.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 25, 2026 05:28 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).