WhatsApp holiday updates has officially begun rolling out worldwide just days before New Year’s Eve, bringing fresh interactive effects, animated stickers, festive visuals, and creative tools to help users celebrate the arrival of 2026.
Meta-owned WhatsApp announced the holiday update featuring 2026-themed stickers, animated reactions, and new video effects designed to make chats, statuses, and calls more expressive during the global New Year’s celebrations.
This update comes as WhatsApp regularly handles more than 100 billion messages and 2 billion calls each day, a figure that spikes significantly during New Year’s Eve celebrations worldwide.
As part of the holiday rollout, users can send special 2026 stickers in individual and group chats, and even integrate them into Status updates to share festive photos and videos. Animated confetti reactions return as well, turning simple emoji responses into seasonal visual effects.
In addition to the stickers, WhatsApp has enhanced video call effects, allowing users to trigger animations like fireworks, stars, and confetti during live calls, a fun way to ring in the New Year with family and friends near and far.
Beyond celebrations, WhatsApp is also helping users plan parties and group events. Handy group chat tools let members create pinned events, conduct polls for food or activities, and share live location details for meetups.
Amid these updates, WhatsApp continues improving communication features across its platforms. For instance, the app recently expanded creative tools with Instagram-style Notes, allowing users to share short messages and mood updates across chats, further blurring lines between social trends and messaging tools.
With the WhatsApp 2026 stickers update, users can enjoy more festive, engaging conversations this holiday season, adding a creative spark to New Year’s greetings as communities worldwide prepare to welcome 2026.
