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WhatsApp Projects Record New Year Usage, Rolls Out Festive Features

The company says all holiday activity will remain protected by default end-to-end encryption.

Overview

  • WhatsApp projects that more than 3 billion people will use the app worldwide to celebrate the arrival of 2026.
  • The platform expects to handle over 100 billion encrypted messages and more than 2 billion calls during the New Year period, based on company forecasts.
  • New Year’s Eve is described as WhatsApp’s biggest annual traffic peak, surpassing typical daily volumes of 100+ billion messages and 2+ billion calls.
  • Seasonal features are available now, including a 2026 sticker pack, fireworks and confetti effects in video calls, confetti reactions, and animated stickers in Status updates.
  • WhatsApp emphasizes that messages, calls and Status shares are end-to-end encrypted by default, including during the expected surge.