WhatsApp Working on Stickers That Can Play Sound

WhatsApp is developing a new feature called "sound stickers," which will allow users to send stickers with accompanying audio clips. The new feature is currently in beta for Android devices, but not yet available to users. Sound stickers will appear in conversations just like normal stickers, with an audio icon appearing over the sticker to indicate it contains sound.

When a user taps the sticker, the attached audio clip will play. Both the sticker and its audio track will be protected by end-to-end encryption. Unlike existing static and animated stickers, sound stickers will combine visual and audio elements. Users will be able to create their own sound stickers by combining a sticker with an audio clip, or by converting a video into an animated sticker and using its audio.

The feature will also respect the phone's silent mode, playing without audio if the device is in silent mode, and allowing users to manually mute sound stickers. WhatsApp previously removed avatar stickers from its apps, though the reason for the removal is unclear. Sound stickers are currently being developed for Android devices and are not yet available for beta testing, but are expected to be released in a future update.