Animated stickers have become a staple for WhatsApp users looking to add some flair to their conversations. The platform has been supporting these dynamic additions for some time. Initially, these animated stickers were confined to the WebP format. While this format benefits from smaller file sizes, one drawback is compromised quality upon scaling, which can result in a loss of sharpness on larger displays.
Recent developments indicate that WhatsApp is addressing this issue by introducing a support system for a new format. According to the insights shared by WABetaInfo, the latest Android beta release of WhatsApp (version 2.24.5.10) now allows for animated stickers in the Lottie format. The primary advantage of this vector-based format is its scalability, ensuring that animated stickers retain their crisp quality regardless of size. This update aims to enhance the visual fidelity of stickers across both small handheld devices and larger screens.
Additionally, the Lottie format promises to deliver improved animations with “more fluid motions, vibrant colors, and intricate details,” as compared to its WebP counterpart. One would normally anticipate that such enhancements would naturally lead to an increase in file size. However, Lottie formatted stickers are reported to maintain a similar or potentially smaller file size than those in the WebP format, offering a balance between quality and efficiency.
Content creators might face a higher degree of difficulty when designing stickers in the Lottie format versus the WebP format, but this move could signify an industry shift towards higher quality, scalable animated graphics.
Although this initiative is currently in beta, there is no official communication regarding when it will be rolled out to WhatsApp’s stable release. The transition from beta testing to official release often involves thorough testing across various platforms, including web, iOS, Windows, and Mac, potentially spanning several months.
Users will likely have to wait a bit before they can send and receive high-definition animated stickers across all their devices, but these advancements suggest a future where high-quality and expressive animations become the norm within WhatsApp chats.
