WhatsApp In-App Browser Spotted: Powerful New Feature for Opening Links in Chats

• WhatsApp In-App Browser is being developed to open chat links without switching to another app.
• The optional setting is expected under Settings > Chats, with a choice to return to Safari or Chrome.
• The feature was spotted in iOS TestFlight code and is not yet available to beta testers.

WhatsApp In-App Browser is in development as an optional way to open links shared in chats without leaving the conversation. If introduced, it could let users read a webpage inside WhatsApp rather than automatically sending the link to their default browser.

The feature was spotted by WABetaInfo in the latest iOS TestFlight build, which included screenshots showing its expected appearance. It is not available to beta testers yet, and there is no release date or timeline. Features discovered in test code can change or may never reach a public release.

How the WhatsApp In-App Browser May Work

The planned option is called “In-app browser” and is expected to appear under Settings > Chats. When a user switches it on for the first time, a bottom sheet will explain how the feature works. The setting is optional, so people who prefer opening links outside WhatsApp would not have to enable it.

Users will also be able to switch back to their default browser at any time. That means Safari on an iPhone or Chrome, where it is the default, can remain the usual destination for links if users change their preference. The exact behaviour could still change while the feature remains in development.

Why WhatsApp Is Working on In-App Link Opening

At present, tapping most links in a WhatsApp chat launches the phone’s default browser. To read a page, users have to leave the conversation and return to WhatsApp afterwards. An in-app browser could keep the chat and the linked page closer together, while making the behaviour a choice rather than a requirement.

WhatsApp already has a few limited ways to show web content without fully switching apps. Shared videos from services such as YouTube and Facebook can use picture-in-picture floating players. Select WhatsApp Business accounts can also display embedded web views for features such as catalogues and forms. These are narrow exceptions rather than a general browser for links.

How It Differs From WhatsApp’s Earlier Business Link Support

WhatsApp introduced limited support in May last year for opening certain HTTPS-secured business website links inside the app. The support started on Android, while an iOS extension was planned. It was not designed to handle every link shared in a conversation.

For a business website to qualify, it had to use HTTPS and meet additional business criteria. That kept the earlier feature restricted to eligible businesses. The WhatsApp In-App Browser now being developed is described as a broader option that could handle any link sent or received in a chat, although it has not been released for testing.

WhatsApp has also been developing other chat features, including scheduled messages in WhatsApp. Separately, WhatsApp Guest Calling explores joining calls through a browser without an account. These features address different needs, but show how the app’s chat experience and its links to browser-based services continue to evolve.

Privacy Details Reported So Far

WABetaInfo’s report says WhatsApp cannot see which links are shared in conversations or which links users open. This is a detail attributed to the report, rather than a direct statement from WhatsApp. The available information does not provide a release timeline or a full account of how the final feature will work.

For now, the main details are the optional setting, its planned location in Settings > Chats and the ability to return to Safari or Chrome. The feature remains in development, so its final design and behaviour may differ from the screenshots found in TestFlight code.

Conclusion

WhatsApp In-App Browser could make opening shared links less disruptive by keeping webpages inside the chat app. The setting is planned as optional, but it has not reached beta testers and no release date has been announced. Until WhatsApp confirms availability, the feature should be treated as work in progress.

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