On the eve of the New Year, millions of people are gearing up to send heartfelt messages to their loved ones to usher in 2026. This festive period marks a significant surge in activity for messaging apps, with WhatsApp confirming that December 31 consistently stands out as its busiest day of the year.
According to WhatsApp, New Year’s Day is a pinnacle moment for the platform, setting new records each year for the volume of messages and calls exchanged among friends and family. While on an average day, WhatsApp handles over 100 billion messages and 2 billion calls, the transition into a new year always eclipses these figures.
In anticipation of the celebratory rush, WhatsApp has introduced several new features to enhance user experience during the festivities. These updates include a 2026 sticker pack for sharing New Year’s joy, video call effects like fireworks and confetti animations, animated confetti reactions, and the introduction of animated stickers for Status updates.
In addition to these enhancements, the Meta-owned service is offering guidance for users engaging with the app on New Year’s Eve. WhatsApp suggests creating event pins in group chats for seamless planning, using polls to decide on food and activities, sharing live locations for party navigation and safety, and sending video and voice notes to include absent friends in the celebration.
As the clock ticks closer to midnight, WhatsApp users are encouraged to make the most of these new features and tips to ring in the New Year with warmth and connectivity.