As the world prepares to welcome 2026, WhatsApp has rolled out a series of limited-time festive updates designed to make New Year celebrations more fun, vibrant and connected. The Meta-owned messaging platform, which reportedly sees its highest activity on New Year’s Eve with record-breaking message and call volumes, announced these updates via an official blog post on December 29, 2025, just ahead of the year ending.
WhatsApp highlighted its role in global celebrations, stating, “On a regular day, we support over 100 billion messages and 2 billion calls – but the twenty-four hours when the world welcomes a New Year always tops our charts. Whether it’s a video call that unites families across continents, or a group chat that organises a celebration, we’re proud to play a small role in making people’s wishes for next year special.”
The new features, available now through the holiday period, include animated stickers, interactive effects, and tools to enhance chats, calls, and status updates.
WhatsApp New Year update: New animated stickers and status enhancements
For the first time ever, WhatsApp is bringing animated stickers to Status updates. Users can select a special “2026 layout” and add animated stickers to personalise their New Year posts with photos or videos, making greetings more dynamic and expressive.
Additionally, a dedicated “2026 sticker pack” is now available for sharing in individual chats and groups. These colourful, animated stickers offer festive greetings and designs to spread holiday cheer quickly and visually.
WhatsApp has also revived animated confetti reactions. Reacting to a message with party-related emojis, such as the confetti ball or party popper, triggers cheerful on-screen animations in the chat.
Festive video call effects and group planning tools
Virtual celebrations get a boost on WhatsApp with new video call effects. During a call, users can tap the effects icon to activate fireworks, confetti bursts, and star animations that fill the screen, adding excitement to countdowns and toasts with distant loved ones.
To help organise in-person gatherings, WhatsApp reminds users of existing group chat features:
– Events: Create and pin events to collect RSVPs and keep plans visible.
– Polls: Vote on party details like food, drinks, or activities.
– Live Location: Share real-time location for safe meetups or arrivals.
– Voice/Video Notes: Send quick updates to those who can’t attend.
These updates are rolling out globally on the latest versions of WhatsApp for Android, iOS, and desktop, ensuring users worldwide can join the festivities in a fun, private way as they ring in 2026.
