WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.15.15: what's new?
WhatsApp is rolling out a new update through the Google Play Beta Program, bringing the version up to 2.24.15.15.
What's new in this update? WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that brings animations to emoji using Lottie, and it's available to some beta testers!
| Common questions | Answers |
|---|---|
| Name of the feature? | Animated emojis |
| Status? | Rolling out |
| Compatibility? | WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.15.15 is marked as a compatible update, but some users may be able to experiment with the same feature by installing the previous update. |
| I've installed this update but I don't have this feature. Why? | This feature is available to some beta testers, and it is rolling out to more users over the coming weeks. |
| Thanks: | Anon For Justice, Kabali Naveen, Muhammad Hammad, and Abdulhakeem, for testing and reporting. |
| Previous news? | WhatsApp beta for iOS 24.14.10.79: what's new? WhatsApp is rolling out a feature to quickly explore new channels! |
WhatsApp was developing animated emoji
Last year, we shared an article where we announced a feature that bringsanimations to emoji, scheduled for release in a future update. Through this feature, WhatsApp aimed to enhance the messaging experience by introducing dynamic and animated emojis. These would have added a new layer of expression and fun to conversations.
WhatsApp is introducing animated emoji to some beta testers
WhatsApp is finally testing this feature with the public. Today, some users in the Android beta program can now share animated emoji in their conversations. With the latest WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.15.15 update, which is available on the Google Play Store, we discovered that WhatsApp is rolling out the feature that brings animations to emoji!
WhatsApp is designing animated emoji using Lottie
As you can see from the attached video recording, a limited number of beta testers can explore animated emoji to enrich their daily communication experience. These animated emoji are designed using the Lottie library. With Lottie, WhatsApp can maintain high-quality animations and keep them lightweight and scalable. This enhances the visual appeal of emoji messages without compromising performance. Note that WhatsApp has recently released an enhanced sticker experience with the Lottie framework, and this expands support for Lottie-based stickers.
WhatsApp supports only a limited set of animated emoji
It's important to note that not all emoji support animation. While WhatsApp is introducing this feature to enhance messaging, only certain emoji support animations right now. This means that when you send an emoji, it will only appear animated if an animated version of that specific emoji is available. For emoji without an animated version, they will appear in their standard static form. To check if the feature is enabled for your account, we recommend you try sending the emoji shown in our screen recording. However, WhatsApp will add more animated emoji in the future.
WhatsApp is rolling out animated emoji to some beta testers
The feature that brings animations to emoji is available to some beta testers who install the latest updates of WhatsApp beta for Android from the Google Play Store. It is rolling out to even more people over the coming weeks.
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