From animated emojis to smarter group creation, WhatsApp is quietly evolving how we use it — again. By now, WhatsApp updates feel almost routine. But occasionally, the platform drops a batch of features that subtly shifts how people interact. This week’s changes? They lean into expression, convenience, and control — not in radical ways, but in small ones that most users will notice over time.
More Personality in Chats
Let’s startwith the visual stuff. Emojis in WhatsApp now move — not all of them, just a select handful for now (❤️ 💕 💯 😘 and so on). It’s a lightweight tweak, sure, but it adds a flicker of life to what were once static icons.
There’s also a new animated sticker maker, which turns your videos into looping stickers you can drop into chats. For anyone who grew tired of recycled sticker packs, this offers a personal twist. Another new entry: Avatar social stickers, but with a catch — they only work in one-on-one chats with people who also use avatars. It feels a bit limited for now, but maybe that’s intentional. Less chaos, more context.
Groups Get Easier, Not Heavier
Starting a new WhatsApp group used to feel oddly formal. Now, it’s simpler: just give it a name. You can add people or share an invite link later. That’s it. For casual plans, this is a welcome fix.
If you send multiple photos or videos at once, you can now add one caption to rule them all — and recipients can reply or react to the full batch, or individual items. It’s a cleaner approach to media-heavy conversations.
A More Playful Calls and Channels Experience
The Calls tab gets a splash of fun, too. WhatsApp is rolling out six new filters and six visual effects for video calls and camera snaps during calls. It’s a light, TikTok-ish addition, but consistent with WhatsApp’s recent focus on visual communication.
In Channels, admins can now create photo polls, while users gain the ability to star updates for later — a small but useful step toward keeping favorite content from getting buried. Finally, there’s a quiet but powerful update: you can now mention entire groups in your status, and every member gets notified. Whether that’s helpful or annoying probably depends on the group.
Rollout & Availability
These features will arrive gradually on Android and iOS over the coming weeks. No action required — just watch for updates.
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