WhatsApp Rolls Out New Calling Effects, Animations and Stickers Ahead of New Year

A curated NYE sticker pack along with sticker avatars are now available on WhatsApp.

Written by Shaurya Tomer, Edited by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 20 December 2024 10:37 IST

WhatsApp Rolls Out New Calling Effects, Animations and Stickers Ahead of New Year

Photo Credit: WhatsApp

New Year-themed elements have been rolled out on WhatsApp

Highlights

WhatsApp adds New Year-themed backgrounds and filters for video calls
Confetti animations now appear with party emoji reactions
New Year’s Eve sticker pack and avatar stickers are also introduced

WhatsApp is introducing fun new features to enhance the texting and calling experience ahead of the new year, the company announced on Thursday. For a limited time, WhatsApp users will be able to take advantage of new calling effects with the New Year theme during video calls. Further, the instant messaging platform rolled out new animations and sticker packs to match the festive vibe. Notably, Instagram, which is another app owned by Meta Platforms, recently introduced a limited-time feature dubbed 2024 Collage.

New Year Features on WhatsApp

According to WhatsApp, users can now make video calls during the holidays and apply festive backgrounds, filters, and effects, commemorating the new year. It also brings new animated reactions. When someone reacts to a message using select party emojis, a confetti animation will appear for both the sender and receiver.

The instant messaging platform also introduced new stickers. A curated New Year's Eve (NYE) sticker pack is available, along with avatar stickers, matching the New Year theme. WhatsApp says these features are a great avenue for conveying holiday wishes in a fun and interactive way.

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These features join other additions on WhatsApp in recent weeks. Last week, it rolled out even more effects for video calls, including puppy ears, underwater, and a karaoke microphone. Users can now select from a total of 10 effects. Further, users can now select specific participants for calls in groups without disrupting the entire chat.

Other New Features

WhatsApp previously introduced typing indicators for real-time engagement in chats. Following its arrival, users will see visual cues in chats along with the profile picture of the user who's typing in one-to-one as well as group conversations.

Another recent addition is voice message transcripts. As the name suggests, WhatsApp provides users with a text-based transcription of the voice messages received from others. However, only the recipient can see a transcript of the voice message and not the sender. The platform emphasises that transcripts are generated on-device and no one else can hear or read its content.

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Further reading: WhatsApp, WhatsApp Update, WhatsApp New Features, Social media

Shaurya Tomer

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Shaurya Tomer is a Sub Editor at Gadgets 360 with 2 years of experience across a diverse spectrum of topics. With a particular focus on smartphones, gadgets and the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), he often likes to explore the industry's intricacies and innovations – whether dissecting the latest smartphone release or exploring the ethical implications of AI advancements. In his free time, he often embarks on impromptu road trips to unwind, recharge, and ...More