WhatsApp, the instant messaging application owned by Meta, released an update this week, introducing animated stickers from GIPHY, the popular GIF platform.
In a blog post, Meta wrote that the “integration lets you find and share relevant and engaging stickers, without having to leave the app.” WhatsApp, which recently hit 100 million users in the United States, says that users can access the new GIPHY features by updating the app in theApp store.
Before the update, U.S.-based WhatsApp users were among those who could stay within the app to send GIFs from GIPHY—which was previously owned by Meta— but now they will be able to expand their use to animated stickers. Users will be able to search for different stickers using keywords or emojis.
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The update goes even further for Android users, expanding access to a “custom sticker maker” of which iOS users have already had access to for some time. With the sticker maker, WhatsApp users can create personalized stickers using photographs in their camera roll, or they can edit existing stickers using the cut, draw, and crop tools.
Meta also shared on its blog that if, after searching, users do not find the GIF they want, they can utilize Meta AI to create more custom stickers. All of a user’s stickers can be organized through customizable dashboards called a “sticker tray.”
This AI sticker feature is currently available to iPhone and Android users in the United States.
