Modes of expression onour favorite chat appshave expanded far beyond text, images, and videos. Most of the apps support GIFs, customizable sticker packs, andnew Unicode emojiadded periodically. Meta-owned WhatsApp is no different, but we often complain that it doesn’t stand out from rival apps despite its immense popularity. However, developers seem cognizant, and a recent beta update reveals the ongoing development of animated sticker support.
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The Unicode consortium regularly deliberates on the addition of new emoji characters to make conversation frictionless, and it does a rather good job of keeping up with trends as well, but emoji lack the visual flair and creative freedom GIFs or colorful personalized stickers can deliver. Early in 2023, we reported onWhatsApp’s continued effortsto animate emoji, whichdate back to 2022.
A recent beta update to the app, version 2.24.5.10, reveals Meta also has plans to animate stickers, alongside emoji. Some sticker packs already feature animations, but you may notice the movements are usually basic.WABetaInfotesters say the app is working on support for animated stickers built on the Lottie framework to supplement the basic WebP-based stickers already available.
The WebP image format is used widely because it maintains image quality while optimizing file sizes. However, this format doesn’t maintain quality when scaling images to a larger size, and animation support is rudimentary at best. The Lottie framework has all the advantages of WebP, but adds SVG-like lossless scaling and better animations to the mix. These files can give WhatsApp sticker creators freedom for more intricate movements, transitions between these movements, and other animation effects.
It might seem like a minor change in the grand scheme of things, but WhatsApp has billions of users, and better stickers with detailed, crisp animations won’t go unnoticed. Better visuals are a welcome change, which would make sticker usage on WhatsApp enjoyable all over again. Unfortunately, the feature is still in development, and given how long it has been that way, there’s no telling when Meta may launch Lottie-based animated stickers in the stable version of the app.
