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- WhatsApp is developing a new Media Hub for iPhone that will allow users to find photos, videos and links received across their conversations without opening individual chats. The feature will provide a central location to browse and search shared content, including media received in older conversations.
The feature was discovered by WABetaInfo in WhatsApp beta for iOS version 26.42.10.74, released through Apple’s TestFlight programme. However, the Media Hub remains under development and is not yet accessible to beta testers.
WhatsApp introduced a similar feature for its Mac and web platforms in 2025. The upcoming iPhone version will bring several of the same functions to iOS, although there are differences in the types of content users can access.
WhatsApp Media Hub Will Bring Photos and Videos Into One Place
The new WhatsApp Media Hub will be accessible from the application’s Settings menu.
Instead of opening individual chats to browse previously received content, users will be able to view media from multiple conversations through one interface.
The Media Hub will include two tabs named New and All media. The New tab will display recently received content, while All media will show previously received items across conversations.
Users will also be able to filter content by photos, videos and links, or display all supported content together.
The interface will offer grid and list views, allowing users to choose how media appears on their iPhone.
Another planned function is a heart-shaped filter that displays media associated with messages users have reacted to.
WhatsApp Will Support Searching Photos, Videos and Links
The Media Hub will include a dedicated search function for finding previously received content.
Users will be able to search for photos and videos using their captions. They can also search for links shared in conversations. For example, someone looking for a previously received photo could search for words included in its caption rather than trying to remember which contact or group shared it.
The search function will also allow users to find previously shared website links without scrolling through their chat history.
In addition to browsing and searching, users will be able to interact with media directly from the hub. Supported actions will include forwarding content to another conversation, adding a reaction, starring an item and opening the original chat where the media was received.
These functions will allow users to manage received media without first navigating to the original conversation.
WhatsApp Media Hub on iPhone Will Exclude Sent Media
One notable limitation of the upcoming iPhone Media Hub is that it will only display media received from other users. Photos, videos and links sent by the account holder will not appear in the new interface, according to the feature’s current design.
Disappearing media will also be excluded.
This differs from the Media Hub introduced for WhatsApp Web and Mac in 2025, which provides a central location for shared photos, videos, links and documents across conversations.
The desktop version also supports searching by sender or caption, sorting media by date or file size, and managing multiple items together.
For the iPhone version, the currently identified filters cover photos, videos and links. It is not yet confirmed whether documents, bulk deletion or all the desktop sorting functions will be supported when the feature becomes available.
As development continues, WhatsApp may change the interface or available functions before public release.
How Is the New WhatsApp Media Hub Different From Existing Search?
WhatsApp already allows iPhone users to search across conversations for messages, photos, videos, links and documents. Users can also access shared media from individual chats, including the existing Media, Links, and Docs section.
The upcoming Media Hub will introduce a different way to browse this content. Instead of starting a search or opening a particular conversation, users will be able to access a central collection of received media through Settings. They can then browse recently received items, switch between content types or search for a specific photo, video or link.
The main difference is therefore the dedicated browsing interface rather than the introduction of media searching for the first time.
The new feature will bring WhatsApp’s iPhone experience closer to its existing Mac and web versions, while retaining its focus on received media.
When Will WhatsApp Media Hub Be Available on iPhone?
WhatsApp has not announced a release date for the Media Hub on iOS.
Although the feature was identified in WhatsApp beta for iOS 26.42.10.74, it has not been enabled for participants in the TestFlight beta programme. It may become available to selected beta testers in a future update, but there is no confirmed schedule.
There is also no announced date for a wider release to WhatsApp users in Malaysia or other markets. For now, iPhone users will need to continue using WhatsApp’s existing search and media browsing functions to locate content shared in their conversations.
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