WhatsApp is working on an optional in-app browser for iPhone that would open any link shared in a chat without sending you to Safari or another browser. MacRumors reports, citing WABetaInfo, that the feature is still in development. WhatsApp hasn’t announced it or said when it might arrive.
What WABetaInfo found
WABetaInfo says it spotted the feature in WhatsApp’s iOS beta 26.41.10.72 on TestFlight. The site found references in that build and shared screenshots of how it would work, but beta testers can’t use it yet. That makes it a work in progress that could change or never ship.
A new “In-app browser” option under Settings > Chats would let users choose whether links open inside WhatsApp or in their default browser. According to WABetaInfo, the first time you switch it on, a bottom sheet would explain how it works, and you could go back to your default browser at any point. The three-dot menu inside the viewer would also keep an “open in default browser” option.
A bigger version of an existing feature
This isn’t WhatsApp’s first attempt. WABetaInfo reported last May on a test that let users view certain HTTPS-secured business sites within the app. That version only worked for links from businesses that met WhatsApp’s technical requirements, so most links shared in everyday chats didn’t qualify. The new browser would drop that restriction.
For people who share links constantly in group chats, the appeal is simple: tap, read, and return to the conversation. WABetaInfo says the browsing session runs separately from the chat, so it doesn’t disturb the conversation.
Data and privacy controls
The same settings screen would let users clear cookies, cache and other browsing data stored by WhatsApp’s in-app browser. WABetaInfo states that “WhatsApp cannot see links shared in the conversation and which ones users open.” It also says browsing data stays on the device, as it does with Safari. That is WABetaInfo’s description of a feature still in development, and WhatsApp hasn’t commented. Reader reactions on the MacRumors thread show plenty of scepticism about in-app browsers from Meta, so the privacy detail will probably get scrutiny if the feature ships.
WhatsApp is one of the most-used messaging apps in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The browser is only referenced in an iPhone beta so far, with no word on a wider rollout or Android version.
Can I use WhatsApp’s in-app browser now?
No. WABetaInfo says the feature is under development and not yet available to beta testers, and WhatsApp hasn’t announced it.
Will I be forced to use it?
Not according to the report. It would be an opt-in setting under Settings > Chats, and you could keep opening links in your default browser.
Can I clear what the in-app browser stores?
The beta references a section for clearing cookies and cache from sites opened in WhatsApp. It’s part of the unreleased design, so details may change.
