WhatsApp improves its status function and adapts it to the known options from Facebook and Instagram. Specifically, the company announced five innovations that will be gradually rolled out to users from now on.
WhatsApp has announced five new features for its Messenger. These all entail changes for the status reports, as can be seen from a WhatsApp blog entry.
1. Users can choose who sees their status
The first innovation is that you can now select which contacts can see each new status message. The last selection is saved and can be used for further posts.
2. Voice messages possible as status
In addition, you can now also set voice notes as a status. These have a maximum length of 30 seconds and are intended to give users more flexibility.
3. Contacts can react to statuses with emojis
With the status reactions, one of the most frequently requested functions is now implemented in WhatsApp. In the future you will be able to reply to a status with one of eight different emojis. Reactions via text, voice message or sticker are still possible.
4. Ring around users who have posted a current status message
Status messages are also further integrated into the chats. A ring, similar to Instagram, will now appear around a contact’s profile picture when they have shared a status.
5. Preview for links now also in status
As with messages, a visual preview will also appear in the status of shared links.
The updates are currently being rolled out to all users worldwide. It could be a few weeks before everyone is taken care of.