As WhatsApp usage continues to rise, particularly in Western markets, Meta’s slowly trying to integrate more functionality into the app, with a view to eventually facilitating a broader set of functions and options within your message streams.
Meta’s latest focus on this front is an expansion of WhatsApp stickers, with a range of sticker updates, from animated GIFs to AI creations, that’ll help to build upon the platform’s basic text focus.
First off, WhatsApp’s adding animated stickers from GIPHY, which will help to bring your WhatsApp message threads to life.
As you can see in this example, WhatsApp will now integrate a range of animated GIFs that can be added to your chats.
To be clear, WhatsApp has had animated stickers for some time, including animated Meta Avatar stickers, which it added last year. So moving elements within your chat threads are nothing new, but direct GIPHY integration means that users will now have access to many more trending and topical stickers that they can display in-stream.
WhatsApp’s also making its custom sticker maker available on Android, which enables users to turn their photos into personalized stickers. Originally launched on iOS last year, the process expands your creative options, with customizable visuals for whatever use you choose.
Meta’s also looking to expand its AI sticker generation tools, which are currently only available in selected markets.
With AI stickers, you can create animation-style images based on text prompts, which is another way for Meta to integrate its evolving gen AI tools within its apps.
In addition to this, WhatsApp is also improving its sticker preview process, providing more options to check out certain sticker packs before you download them.
“To organize your sticker tray, you can also tap and hold a sticker to move to top or delete it.”
They may not be a game-changing messaging option, but custom sticker provide another way for Meta to build on WhatsApp’s core functionality, with additional usage tools that both align with communication trends, and give WhatsApp users more processes to consider.
And ideally, that’ll be another step towards expanding user behaviors in WhatsApp. What Meta would ultimately love is for WhatsApp users to engage in more shopping and commercial behaviors as well, enabling it to bring more focus to the platform as a key business, and revenue opportunity.
Chinese consumers have gone big on messaging apps, with tools like WeChat becoming essential utilities, connecting Chinese citizens to the broader world via simple, text-based tools. Western consumers haven’t been as responsive to the same, but maybe, over time, as more people become WhatsApp users, Meta will be able to build in more functionality to encourage the same.
