New Delhi:

From animated red hearts to group mentions on Status, the latest feature rollout touches nearly every corner of the app. These updates apply to both Android and iOS and are gradually rolling out across regions. Here’s what’s new.

It’s been a packed few months for WhatsApp, and the app just got another upgrade. This time, it’s a mix of fresh features across chats, calls, and status updates. Whether you’re deep into emoji culture or someone who runs multiple group chats, there’s something new for almost everyone. The company quietly rolled out a series of tools through its official blog on June 12, aiming to make messaging a little more expressive, and calls and updates more interactive.

Animated emojis, sticker tools, and flexible group creation

WhatsApp is also letting users create animated stickers from their own videos. So if you’ve got a favourite cat video or meme clip, you can turn it into a reusable sticker. This joins the new avatar-based social stickers, which are only visible to contacts who have avatars set up. These stickers are currently only available in one-on-one chats.

Group creation has also been made easier. Users can now start a group without adding members upfront. Just pick a group name and share the invite link later. It’s ideal for people like me who start planning events before figuring out who’s coming.

The red heart emoji now beats in chats. The wink, the kissy face, sparkles, and a few others now move when sent alone in a message. It’s not groundbreaking, but it adds a fun element that brings life to conversations.

Calls tab gets filters and effects

A refreshed Calls tab now puts everything in one place — call logs, links, and dial options. Users also get six new video call filters and six visual effects for calls or when snapping photos. That means yes, you can now spice up your next video call with something more than just your tired face.

Channels and Status updates go visual

Channel admins can now add images to each poll option. Whether it’s voting on a dinner spot or your favourite outfit, the polls just got more visual. You can also star your favourite channel posts, so you don’t lose track of updates that matter.

In Status, you can now mention full groups. All group members will be notified in the chat, and they’ll be able to reshare the status on their own profiles.

These updates follow months of beta testing and are rolling out globally. WhatsApp says users should keep an eye out for more updates in the coming weeks.

Better media sharing and new reactions

Sending a bunch of vacation photos? WhatsApp now lets you add a single caption for all the images and videos in one go. You don’t need to write the same explanation for every image. Reactions and replies can be sent to the entire batch or to individual photos or clips.

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