WhatsApp for iOS Gets New Home Screen Widget for Chats, Camera Updates
Popular messaging app WhatsApp was today updated to add a new Home Screen widget that's specific to chats. The widget is available on the iPhone after updating to version 24.21.81, which came out this afternoon.

After updating the widget can be added to the Home Screen using the Edit interface. Users can choose from Recents, Favorites, Pinned, or Frequently Contacted to get quick access to their preferred chats.
WhatsApp has also added support for using 0.5x to 3x zoom with the built-in camera, and there is an option to mention others in Status by tapping the @ button in the composer.
Not all users will receive these updates right away, and WhatsApp says they will "roll out over the coming weeks."
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