WhatsApp adds festive features ahead of New Year 2026

WhatsApp has rolled out several temporary features tied to the holiday period, ahead of the 2026 celebrations. These include a new 2026-themed sticker pack, animated effects such as fireworks and confetti for video calls, and special confetti reactions triggered by emoji use.

For the first time, the platform has also added animated stickers to Status updates, allowing users to share New Year messages using a dedicated 2026 layout.

The platform has also highlighted existing tools commonly used for New Year planning in group chats. These include creating and pinning events, using polls to coordinate food and activities, sharing live locations to help people meet safely, and sending voice or video notes to capture moments in real time.

WhatsApp said New Year’s Day remains its busiest period each year, as messaging and calling volumes surge when people around the world connect with friends and family.

On a typical day, the platform handles more than 100 billion messages and about 2 billion calls, but activity during the 24 hours around the New Year consistently exceeds those levels, the company said.