WhatsApp is looking to make its chat interface more engaging by reportedly developing a new feature called sound stickers. While traditional stickers serve as visual expressions for moods, reactions, and memes, these upcoming additions will be capable of playing audio when shared in a conversation and may trigger multiple times when tapped.
Discovered in the WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.26.41.3 via the Google Play Store, the feature will maintain WhatsApp's standard end-to-end encryption. This ensures that what users share remains confidential, with Meta unable to access the content. The functionality is still in development and not yet available, and WhatsApp has not announced an official rollout date.
These sound stickers will resemble current graphics but will incorporate a short audio track and likely feature an audio icon to indicate sound is present. Recipients will need to tap the sticker to play the embedded audio. Furthermore, users are expected to have the ability to create their own sound stickers by combining visual elements with audio clips, potentially allowing them to turn video content into animated stickers with added sound.
To prevent disruptions, the feature will respect silent mode and include a volume icon for user control, retaining audio preferences for future sound stickers until changed. In addition to sound stickers, WhatsApp has begun rolling out a scheduled messaging feature to certain Android beta testers, enabling users to queue texts, links, photos, and videos to send automatically anywhere from 10 minutes to two weeks in advance.