The WhatsApp team announced the launch of several new features that improve the communication capabilities of the Status section.
In particular, the choice of audience for display of personal content became available to users. In the section, it became possible to configure privacy settings when updating the status – disappearing messages will be seen only by those who are allowed to do so. The audience that was last set will be saved and used by default on the next status update.
You can also now record voice messages up to 30 seconds long and share them in WhatsApp status. This format is suitable for publishing personal news, especially for those who are used to communicating by voice rather than text.
Reactions have also been added to the section, allowing you to easily and quickly respond to status updates from friends and other visible contacts. After WhatsApp finally implemented message reactions last year, the feature to send reactions to status updates has become the most anticipated feature, says SearchEngines. To instantly respond to the status, just swipe up and touch one of the eight emoji.
Thanks to the round frame that appeared around the profile photo, users will always be aware of the status updates of their loved ones. Rings will appear every time contacts post a new status – they can be seen in the list of chats and group members, as well as in the contact’s data.
Previewing links in the status will make them more interesting and informative. Now, when viewing links published in the status, the user will automatically be shown a small preview – just like when sending a link in a message.
WhatsApp has already begun rolling out these updates globally, and they will roll out to all messenger users in the coming weeks.
NIXSolutions reminds that “Status” appeared in WhatsApp in 2017. With it, users can share disappearing content with friends and other contacts in the messenger. Statuses are available for 24 hours and can include photos, videos, GIFs, text, and more. These posts are end-to-end encrypted, just like private WhatsApp calls and messages, so users can share such content privately and securely.