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Instagram and Facebook Profile Photos Can Now Be Used in WhatsApp#

September 17, 2025

Instagram and Facebook profile photos in WA

WhatsApp continues to make profile personalization easier, faster, and more convenient for users on both major mobile platforms. The feature to import a profile photo directly from Facebook or Instagram, previously introduced in WhatsApp beta for Android, is now rolling out to iOS users! This allows for seamless transfer of images from Meta’s associated platforms, making profile customization much easier and maintaining consistency across social networks without any extra steps.

Contents#

How it will work#

On both platforms (Android and iOS), the new option appears in the profile settings section where you would normally change your profile picture. The user can select “Import from Facebook” or “Import from Instagram,” and WhatsApp will automatically pull the picture from the linked Meta account. This new option is integrated with the existing options available when changing your profile picture in the app.

Why it is needed#

Before this feature, using an Instagram or Facebook profile photo on WhatsApp required going through a more complicated and cumbersome process. This typically involved visiting the Instagram or Facebook profile, finding the image, and either taking a screenshot or uploading the photo if the image was no longer saved on the device. Once the image was saved locally, you had to go back to WhatsApp, open the profile settings, and manually upload the saved image from the gallery. This process was time-consuming, especially for users who no longer had the original file on their device or who frequently updated their profile photos across platforms. The new feature greatly simplifies this process by allowing WhatsApp to automatically grab the selected image and apply it as your profile photo. This provides greater flexibility and a faster way to sync your online identity across Meta platforms.

You may need to link your WhatsApp account to the Meta Account Center for this integration to work. The Account Center is a single hub for managing communications between WhatsApp and other Meta platforms like Facebook and Instagram. It gives users more control over how data is used between services and offers convenient features such as single sign-on, cross-posting of content, and centralized avatar management. Enabling this integration allows WhatsApp to access the profile photo from the linked social media account and apply it directly to the user’s WhatsApp profile.

It’s important to note that this integration is optional and disabled by default. Users retain full control over their experience on both platforms.

Benefits and safety#

Benefits:

  • Convenience. No more manual photo downloads and uploads.
  • Time-saving. A quick and easy way to update your profile photo.
  • Consistent Look. Maintain a consistent visual style across Meta platforms*.
  • Centralized Management. Use the Meta Account Center to easily manage your linked accounts.
  • Cross-Platform. Consistent functionality for Android and iOS users!
  • Simplified Process. Eliminates the need for manual steps like downloading and re-uploading.
  • Consistency. Helps maintain a consistent visual identity across platforms.

Security: WhatsApp's link to the Account Center does not affect the app's core privacy protections. End-to-end encryption will continue to protect your private messages and calls. The integration is limited to additional features such as importing profile photos from Facebook or Instagram and does not compromise the privacy of user conversations. This means that no profile photos will be imported automatically without explicit permission. Even with the integration enabled, its scope is strictly limited to additional features such as importing profile photos or syncing avatars.

Conclusion#

The new Instagram and Facebook profile photo import feature is another step in WhatsApp’s journey to improve user experience and simplify everyday tasks. It simplifies the process, saves time, reduces friction, and helps users stay visually consistent in their digital identity. It makes the profile personalization process faster, more convenient, and more integrated across Meta platforms, while maintaining a high level of privacy and control for users. The new feature is being rolled out to select beta testers, and will be rolling out to more people in the coming weeks.

No official release date has been announced yet. We at GREEN-API are keeping an eye on the news and will let you know about any significant updates to WhatsApp, follow our blog. We will be monitoring and keeping you updated on the news regarding the arrival of this feature in WhatsApp for iOS.