WhatsApp’s Status is a popular way to share ephemeral updates with friends and close contacts on the platform. They disappear in 24 hours and may include photos, videos, GIFs, text, and more. Just like your personal chats and calls, your WhatsApp status is protected by end-to-end encryption so you can share privately and securely.
Today, the company added a set of new features to status on WhatsApp that make it easier to express yourself and connect with others.
Private Audience Selector
You update your privacy settings per status so you can choose who views your status each time you update it. Your most recent audience selection will be saved and used as the default for your next status.
Voice Status
You can record and share voice messages up to 30 seconds on WhatsApp status. If you feel lazy to type it out, here’s another option for you.
Status Reactions
WhatsApp also added status reactions to provide a quick and easy way to respond to status updates from your friends and close contacts. This was the number one feature users wanted, following the launch of Reactions last year.
You can now quickly reply to any status by swiping up and tapping on one of eight emojis. You can of course still reply to a status with text, voice message, stickers and more.
Status Profile Rings for New Updates
The new status profile ring will be present around your contact’s profile picture whenever they share a status update. It will be visible in the chat lists, group participant lists, and contact info.
Link Previews on Status
Now when you post a link on your status, there will be a visual preview of the link content, just like when you send a message. Visual previews make your statuses look better, and also give your contacts a better idea of what the link is before they click.
WhatsApp said these updates have started rolling out to users globally and will be available to everyone in the coming weeks. So, keep your eyes out for the update on App Store and Google Play Store.
