WhatsApp is stealing an iOS 17 feature — and doing a better job with it, too

The new iOS 17 custom sticker feature has been one of the most engaging perks I’ve been experimenting with via the iOS 17 public beta, allowing me to transform any expressive selfie into a sharable sticker. All you need to do is press and hold any picture, and bam, you’ve got a cute little sticker.

WhatsApp, according to WABetaInfo, is also testing out a new custom sticker feature, but the difference is that it will have artificial intelligence (AI) support. Instead of searching for your own photos to transform into stickers, you can tell WhatsApp what type of sticker you want and it will generate it for you in a flash.

WhatsApp’s new AI-generated custom stickers

As mentioned, Meta is testing a new AI-generated custom sticker feature. Only members of WhatApp’s testing program, which has reached capacity as of this writing, have access to the new perk.

If this custom sticker feature rolls out to the public, users will get a new “Create” button that will bring up a new page prompting them to enter a description. Here, you can describe the design of your custom sticker, allowing AI to step in and create one for you.

For example, according to the following screenshot, you can type in “Cat laughing on a skateboard.” As a result, the new AI tool spits out, well, a kitty giggling on a skateboard —  and it’s pretty darn cute, too.

Personally, I can’t wait to drop in a “middle finger on fire” prompt into that field. Sometimes my disdain and dissatisfaction can only be deftly depicted by damning decal. If you know, you know.

According to WABetaInfo, WhatsApp will present you with a choice of several stickers that match your description, and you can select the one you want to share in the conversation. 

WhatsApp AI-generated custom stickers feature has a slight edge over iOS 17’s variant for those who want to quickly make highly customized stickers that are relevant to the conversation. One thing that WhatsApp doesn’t allow you to do, however, is transform your own photos into custom stickers — a feature that will roll out to all iOS 17 users when it officially debuts later this year.

The AI-generated custom stickers perk is currently only available to a limited subset of beta testers, but it’s expected to roll out to more members in the coming weeks.