WhatsApp developers keep adding new features on the app in iterative updates and although most of them are bug fixes, some usually come with interesting new features. This time round they have copied Snapchat’s Snap UI and it is not surprising at all.
The first change is with the WhatsApp camera interface and it starkly reminds you of Snapchat.
When you open the WhatsApp camera and take a photo, you will be greeted with the new options at the top which join the crop button. The new buttons are the sticker button, add text button and draw button. Just as the name says, when you tap the sticker button, a list of emoji stickers will appear for you to choose; the text button allows you to add a text and the draw button enables you to draw doodles with the colour(s) of your choice. You will be able to see this changes in version 2.16.262 and also 2.16.263 if you are a beta user.
The second major feature is the Big emojis which are just inflated versions of the standard emojis, presumably to have a bigger ‘effect’ on the recipient. I was not able to see this on my ver. 2.16.263 but Android Police were able to spot them on an earlier version (v. 2.16.256)
The last new change is a surprising one and it is the return of hyperlinks that originate from Telegram Messenger. If you can remember, WhatsApp had intentionally made links that originate from Telegram appear as text rather than hyperlinks which was rather pointless to be honest. It seems they noticed that and it is now back!