WhatsApp to add sticker suggestions based upon text entry

Damien Wilde | May 6 2021 - 2:47 am PT

WhatsApp has decided to double down on stickers as the latest beta build for Android hints at a shortcut that will suggest glyphs based upon your text entry.

We’ve seen the messaging app prep hundreds of features over the past few years, many of which are long overdue including multi-device support, password-protected backups, Snapchat-like self-destructing images, plus tons more. WhatsApp is in a constant state of development, and WABetaInfo has found evidence of a new sticker suggestion feature that will nudge you toward using the icons when typing certain phrases and words in replies.

This expands slightly upon the contextual sticker suggestions you may already have noticed when using Google’s Gboard keyboard — which also works when using WhatsApp. At the moment, the sticker and emoji suggestions are limited, but in the latest WhatsApp beta the evidence points toward a more obvious sticker suggestion method that will flash toward the right side of the keyboard to show that related stickers are available. It’s a little hard to explain, but you can see just how it will appear in the video below:

Naturally, this feature in its current unfinished state will only suggest WhatsApp’s own sticker collections or those downloaded from the in-app store. WABetaInfo confirmed that in its current incarnation, the feature is not yet compatible with third-party sticker packs, but developers will be able to get them working. Let’s hope that this latest upcoming feature is farther down on the WhatsApp development team’s priority list – that said, if you like stickers this might be a nice addition.