WhatsApp is one of the most popular chat and texting apps in the world, and it has just got a big update – but only if you have an iPhone new enough to run it. All Apple iPhones that can run the latest software version iOS 17 can now create, edit and share stickers on WhatsApp, all from within the app itself.
Stickers are small cut-out images you can send to people like you would a photo or an emoji. Whereas before on an iPhone you had to press and hold on any photo in your Photos app to create a sticker and then drag it into WhatsApp, an update to the chat app means you can do it all without leaving the app.
‘You can now create stickers within the app, rather than having to drag-and-drop from your image gallery, or use unofficial third party apps, all while benefiting from the security of WhatsApp’s end-to-end-encryption,” WhatsApp said.
WhatsApp can now auto-crop any image, the software cleverly concentrating on the subject of a photo. We gave it a go, and it successfully and quickly crops the thing you want, ready to edit and send. You can add other stickers or emojis, text, or even draw onto the stickers to personalise them before sending, or edit them afterwards.
iOS 17 runs on most new iPhones and launched at the same time as the iPhone 15 back in September, but if you’re using anything older than the iPhone XR or XS from 2018 then you won’t get iOS 17, and therefore won’t be able to enjoy sticker creation on WhatsApp – but you will be able to edit existing stickers.
Here are all the iPhone models that can run iOS 17 and the new sticker feature in WhatsApp:
iPhone 15 • iPhone 15 Plus • iPhone 15 Pro • iPhone 15 Pro Max • iPhone 14 • iPhone 14 Plus • iPhone 14 Pro • iPhone 14 Pro Max • iPhone 13 • iPhone 13 mini • iPhone 13 Pro • iPhone 13 Pro Max • iPhone 12 • iPhone 12 mini • iPhone 12 Pro • iPhone 12 Pro Max • iPhone 11 • iPhone 11 Pro • iPhone 11 Pro Max • iPhone XS • iPhone XS Max • iPhone XR • iPhone SE (2nd generation or later).
WhatsApp says it hopes this will stop people creating stickers in third party apps. In our testing, it certainly makes the process a lot easier, and some of the stickers we’ve been sending to friends have got a great reaction.
