WhatsApp Stickers: iPhone users may no longer have access to third-party stickers

Apple is reportedly deleting WhatsApp Stickers apps from the App Store citing violation of company’s guidelines.

WhatsApp rolled out its much-awaited Stickers feature for users on iOS and Android last month. (WhatsApp)

Apple may delete all WhatsApp Stickers from the App Store as these apps have found to be violating the company's guidelines for developers, according to WABetaInfo -- a fan website that tracks upcoming WhatsApp features.

The main reason why Apple could take the decision is that, "there are too many apps with similar behaviour and the design of these apps is the same," WABetaInfo tweeted on Sunday.

 

Apple is reporting that all WhatsApp Stickers are violating their guidelines. The main reasons:
1) There are too much apps with similar behavior.
2) It requires WA to be installed. Apps should not require another apps.
3) The design of these apps is the same. https://t.co/L86KCYeSBV

— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) November 18, 2018

In October, WhatsApp announced in a blog post that it is adding support for third-party developers to build sticker apps for WhatsApp for both Android and iOS users.

Designers were asked to "publish your sticker app like any other app on the Google Play Store or Apple App Store and users who download and install your app will be able to start sending those stickers right from within WhatsApp."

Post this announcement, the Apple App Store has been flooding with these sticker apps.

Apple argues that apps should not depend on other apps to function, but the sticker apps require WhatsApp to be installed, according to WABetaInfo which is not affiliated with WhatsApp Inc. However, no official statement about this has been released by Apple or WhatsApp as yet.