WhatsApp Develops Sound Stickers For Android With Custom Audio Creation Planned

WhatsApp is developing a new sound sticker format for Android that could let users attach short audio clips to stickers and share them in conversations. The upcoming feature will also support custom sound stickers, although it remains under development and is not yet available for testing.

 

TL;DR

 

• WhatsApp is developing sound stickers that play short audio clips when tapped.
• The feature was discovered in WhatsApp beta for Android 2.26.41.3.
• Users may eventually create personalised sound stickers using their own audio clips.
• Sound stickers are expected to support end-to-end encryption, silent mode and playback controls.
• The feature is not available to beta testers, and no release date has been announced.

 

WhatsApp Sound Stickers Could Make Conversations More Interactive

 

Meta-owned messaging platform WhatsApp is working on a new sticker format that combines visual stickers with audio clips.

According to WABetaInfo, the feature was discovered in WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.26.41.3, which is available through the Google Play Store.

However, the discovery does not mean beta users can start sending sound stickers immediately.

The feature is still being developed, and WhatsApp has yet to make it available for beta testing.

Unlike existing static and animated stickers, which rely entirely on visuals, sound stickers will include short audio tracks that recipients can play by tapping them.

The stickers will appear inside conversations much like regular stickers, but a small audio icon will indicate that they contain sound.

When recipients tap the sticker, WhatsApp will play its accompanying audio track.

This would allow users to communicate using sounds alongside visual reactions, adding another layer of expression to everyday conversations.

 

WhatsApp Plans To Let Users Create Custom Sound Stickers

Interestingly, WhatsApp is not limiting the feature to stickers available through its official sticker store.

The company is also working on functionality that would allow users to create personalised sound stickers by combining stickers with audio clips.

As reported by Digit, the planned tools could also support creating animated stickers from videos and pairing them with audio.

This would expand WhatsApp's existing sticker creation features and give users more ways to personalise their messages.

Earlier this year, WhatsApp introduced text stickers, allowing users to turn words and phrases into reusable stickers. The update was part of a broader release that also included group member tags and event reminders, as previously covered by TechDogs.

However, unlike those released features, custom sound stickers remain a work in progress.

WhatsApp has not confirmed the final creation interface, supported audio formats or maximum audio duration.

Sound Stickers Will Support Encryption And Audio Controls

 

Alongside the new format, WhatsApp is developing controls to prevent sound stickers from unexpectedly disrupting conversations.

According to WABetaInfo's findings, both the sticker and its accompanying audio track will be protected by end-to-end encryption.

The feature is also designed to respect a phone's silent mode.

This means a sound sticker will not produce audio when the recipient's device is muted, preventing unexpected playback.

Users will also be able to mute sound stickers manually using the volume icon displayed on the sticker.

Furthermore, WhatsApp is expected to remember this preference and keep other sound stickers muted until the user changes the setting.

These controls could make the feature more practical in situations where users want to view messages without playing audio.

However, these behaviours reflect the feature's current development plans and could change before release.

 

When Will WhatsApp Sound Stickers Be Available?

 

For now, WhatsApp users cannot access the sound sticker feature, even if they install Android beta version 2.26.41.3.

WABetaInfo explicitly notes that the feature is "currently in development and not yet available for beta testing."

WhatsApp is expected to make sound stickers available through a future Android beta update, but there is no confirmed testing schedule or public release date.

There is also no announced timeline for an iOS version.

As a result, users looking to try sound stickers will have to wait for WhatsApp to enable the functionality in a future update.

Until then, static stickers, animated stickers and existing custom sticker tools remain the available options for expressing reactions in WhatsApp conversations.