WhatsApp stickers have helped users communicate everything from unfiltered anger to questionable life choices without typing a single word. Now the messaging app also wants to give those little pictures a voice. WhatsApp is testing sound stickers on Android, which will allow users to attach custom audio to stickers created from images and videos. The app is also working on removing sticker outlines and redesigning its chat composition box.
WhatsApp sound stickers could make group chats significantly louder
The feature was first spotted by WABetaInfo in the WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.26.41.3. Later, the Android authority took a shower with the APK for version 2.26.41.11 and managed to get it working, offering a closer look at how these audio-powered stickers can work.
For stickers from still images, WhatsApp could add a sound wave icon that allows users to record their voice or select an existing audio file. Clips can run up to 10 seconds, and recipients can tap a volume icon to play the sound. That’s plenty of time for a dramatic gasp, a perfectly timed meme sound, or a voice note that no one asked for but everyone in the group hears anyway.
Additionally, animated stickers from videos can get a similar treatment, automatically carrying five seconds of audio from the original clip. Users could swap that for a recording or another audio file, while a separate toggle removes the outline around custom stickers for a cleaner look. Between stickers that talk and those that look a little sharper, WhatsApp is giving group chats new ways to get their point across.
WhatsApp is also giving its chatbox a makeover
Alongside the sticker upgrades, WhatsApp is experimenting with a two-line composition box. The current layout squeezes the message field and various feature icons into a single line, but the new design could move the typing area to the top line and place additional controls at the bottom. That would give the message field more space without requiring users to dig through menus every time they want to attach something. The exact purpose of the redesign is not yet clear, but a more flexible layout could help if WhatsApp plans to add more shortcuts.
Both changes remain a work in progress, and WhatsApp has not announced a release date. For now, there is no guarantee that sound stickers or the redesigned composition box will reach the stable app in its current form. However, the prospect of stickers that can actually make a noise is a fun little upgrade for an app where half the conversation already happens through memes. WhatsApp can only give users 10 seconds of audio, but that’s more than enough time for a group chat to give everyone their problem.
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