WhatsApp has rolled out a series of new features to enhance user experience during the festive season, the company announced on Thursday. As the New Year approaches, WhatsApp is offering limited-time calling effects and themed animations, alongside new stickers to match the celebratory mood.
Festive Additions to WhatsApp
WhatsApp users can now enjoy festive backgrounds, filters, and effects during video calls, celebrating the New Year. The platform also introduced new animated reactions. When users react with select party emojis, a confetti animation will appear for both the sender and the receiver, adding a touch of fun to holiday interactions.
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Additionally, WhatsApp has launched a special New Year’s Eve (NYE) sticker pack, along with avatar stickers designed to reflect the New Year theme. These new features are aimed at helping users send their holiday wishes in an engaging and creative way.
These updates join a series of other recent improvements WhatsApp has made. The platform has also introduced more effects for video calls, including options like puppy ears, underwater settings, and a karaoke microphone. With these new effects, users now have a total of 10 different options to personalize their video calls. WhatsApp has also made it easier to select specific participants for group calls without affecting the entire conversation.
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Additional Updates to WhatsApp
WhatsApp has continued to refine user engagement with the addition of typing indicators in chats. This feature allows users to see real-time activity, showing a visual cue alongside the profile picture of the person typing in one-on-one and group conversations.
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Another recent update is the introduction of voice message transcripts. This feature provides users with a text version of the voice messages they receive. Notably, only the recipient can view the transcript, while the sender remains unaware of the text version. WhatsApp assures users that transcripts are generated locally on the device, ensuring privacy for all parties involved.