From group chats to video calls: What’s new on WhatsApp this New Year?

Each New Year’s Eve, the world’s conversations feel a little louder and WhatsApp plays a central role in them. In India alone, more than 500 million people use WhatsApp regularly, making it the largest market for the messaging platform globally. This immense user base reflects how deeply WhatsApp is woven into daily life here, from casual chats to coordinating celebrations.

For WhatsApp itself, New Year’s isn’t just another day — it’s the busiest day of the year. On typical days, the app supports hundreds of billions of messages and calls around the world as people stay in touch with friends, family, and colleagues. But over the 24-hour period when the clock strikes midnight across time zones, usage spikes like nowhere else on the calendar. Whether it’s a late-night video call linking family members across continents or a group chat buzzing with plans, millions mark the transition to a new year through the platform.

More Ways to Celebrate in Chat

To make these moments even more festive, WhatsApp has rolled out several features for the holiday period, designed to help people share feelings and experiences more vividly:

• 2026 sticker pack: A set of celebratory graphics to add colour and personality to your messages.
  
• Video call effects: During calls, you can add animations like fireworks or confetti to your screen.
  
• Animated confetti reactions: Special animation appears when you use the confetti emoji to react to messages.
  
• Animated stickers in Status: For the first time, Whatsapp is offering animated stickers in Status updates, with a special layout themed for 2026.
  

These features aim to enrich conversations and help users express their excitement in new ways as they welcome the new year.

Group Chat Tips for Easier Planning

Celebrations often involve logistics, and WhatsApp’s tools can make organising smoother. Here are a few practical suggestions for using group chats to plan your event:

• Create and pin an event: Keep key details visible and collect RSVPs so everyone stays informed.
  
• Use polls: Let your group vote on food, music, and activities to help make decisions faster.
  
• Share live location: Help guests navigate to the party and let friends update their whereabouts safely.
  
• Send voice and video notes: Capture authentic moments in real time, especially for friends who couldn’t join physically.
  

These features help keep communication clear and collective whether you’re coordinating a last-minute gathering or simply sharing highlights after midnight.