Overview
- WhatsApp’s holiday pack adds a 2026 animated sticker set for chats and Status, festive video-call effects like fireworks, confetti and stars, and animated confetti reactions.
- Animated stickers are supported in Status for the first time, including a special 2026 layout designed for New Year greetings.
- The features are available now through the holiday on the latest Android and iOS versions, according to the company’s announcement.
- WhatsApp says a typical day sees over 100 billion messages and about 2 billion calls, with New Year’s consistently topping those totals.
- India’s CERT-In issued a high-severity ‘GhostPairing’ advisory on a device-linking flaw that could enable full account takeover, urging users to avoid unsolicited links and fake verification prompts.