If you're planning to send a "Happy New Year" message at midnight, or hop on a video call with loved ones tonight, you won't be alone. WhatsApp is bracing itself for a record-breaking 24-hours as billions worldwide ring in 2026.
On a typical day, the messaging platform handles more than 100 billion messages and 2 billion calls. But on New Year's Eve? That's a whole other league.
The 24-hour period when the clock strikes midnight across different time zones consistently tops all internal charts for the volume of text messages, pictures, video calls, and more. Whether you're catching up with family abroad or coordinating tonight's celebrations, the app is ready for the rush.
To help you celebrate in style, WhatsApp has rolled out a few new features just for the festivities. Here's a breakdown of what you can expect to find in your chat app.
WhatsApp has released a slew of new features, just in time for New Year's celebrations
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First up, there's a brand new 2026 sticker pack you can use to share your excitement for the new year with friends and family. You can send all sorts of festive animations, which are an alternative to the usual emojis you might be used to sending.
And here's a first for the app — you can now add animated stickers to your Status updates, complete with a special 2026 layout to mark the occasion.
You can now send 2026 stickers on WhatsApp
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You can now add a little extra sparkle to your video calls. When you tap the effects icon in your call, you can throw fireworks, confetti, and twinkling stars across your screen while you chat. This is similar to the effects you'd find when on a Zoom or FaceTime call.
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The confetti emoji reactions have also received an upgrade. Now, when you react with the cheers emoji in WhatsApp, confetti will be tossed across the screen when someone opens your message. This is very similar to when you send a "Happy birthday" message on an iPhone and confetti automatically pops across the recipient's screen.
When you react with a cheers emoji, confetti will be tossed across the recipient's screen
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Plus, if you're the one rounding up the troops for tonight's festivities, WhatsApp has released some handy tricks to keep things organised. WhatsApp has had these specific features available on your mobiles for a while, but New Year's could be a great time to try them out if you haven't already.
For instance, you can create an event in your group chat and pin it so nobody forgets the details.
Need to sort out what everyone's bringing? You can create a poll to decide on food, drinks, and activities.
You can create a poll to see what your group is interested in
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The live location feature is also a great way for helping mates find their way to yours, and you'll know when everyone's got home safely afterwards. This resembles the Find My feature on Apple devices, where you can track your friends' exact whereabouts.
If you have friends who couldn't make it out, you can also send them video and voice notes throughout the night so they can share the fun in real time.
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