WhatsApp Kicks Off the New Year with Smarter, More Expressive Group Chat Features
- Dennis Toh
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
As the new year begins, WhatsApp is rolling out a fresh set of updates aimed at making group chats more expressive, organised, and easier to manage. Announced today, the new features include member tags, text stickers, and enhanced event reminders — all designed to reflect how central group chats have become in everyday communication.
From coordinating family gatherings and planning celebrations to sharing New Year’s resolutions or organising community activities, WhatsApp group chats play a key role in keeping people connected across devices and locations. With more people relying on group conversations to manage their personal and social lives, these updates aim to bring greater clarity, personality, and engagement to group interactions.
What’s New in WhatsApp Group Chats
Member Tags
Recognising that people play different roles in different groups, WhatsApp now allows users to assign themselves custom member tags within each group. These tags help provide context at a glance — for example, someone can be “Anna’s Dad” in a family chat, “Goalkeeper” in a sports group, or “Project Lead” in a work-related discussion. Tags are visible only within the specific group and can be customised for each one.
Text Stickers
For messages that need to stand out, WhatsApp is introducing text stickers. Users can now turn any word into a sticker simply by typing the text into Sticker Search. These newly created stickers can also be added directly to personal sticker packs, without the need to send them in a chat first — making creative expression faster and more seamless.
Enhanced Event Reminders
Planning just got easier with improved event reminders in group chats. When creating an event, users can now set custom early reminders for invitees. Whether it’s reminding friends to commute to a party or prompting colleagues to join an online meeting on time, the feature helps ensure no one misses a moment.
Building on a Strong Group Chat Foundation
These updates build on WhatsApp’s growing suite of group-focused features introduced over the years, including the ability to share files up to 2GB, send HD photos and videos, use screen sharing, and host voice chats directly within groups.
WhatsApp says it remains committed to delivering a simple, reliable, and secure group chat experience, while continuing to invest in tools that make communication more intuitive and meaningful.
With these new features, WhatsApp signals its intention to keep group chats not just functional, but more personal and expressive — setting the tone for how people connect and communicate in the year ahead.
For more details, readers can visit the official WhatsApp blog to view the full announcement and download the featured image.