WhatsApp Announces Slew of New Status Update Features

[MacRumors]

WhatsApp has announced some new features for Status Updates, which allow users to share ephemeral updates with friends and close contacts on the popular encrypted chat platform.

First up is Private Audience Selector, which allows users to choose who views their status updates. This isn't technically new, since users are already able to control who sees their status updates when sharing them, but this implementation provides a more customized experience. The most recent audience selection is saved and used as the default for the next status update.

Next, Voice Status. Using this feature, users can share voice notes of up to 30 seconds via their status. WhatsApp describes it as offering a way of sending more personal updates, especially if users feel more comfortable expressing themselves by talking rather than typing.

Status Reactions allow users to react to status updates from friends and close contacts by swiping up and tapping one of eight emojis, including Heart-Eyes, Face with Tears of Joy, Face with Open Mouth, Crying Face, Folded Hands, Clapping Hands, Party Popper, and One Hundred Points. WhatsApp says this was the number one feature that users requested.

New Status Profile Rings make it easier to see status updates right within chat lists, group participant lists, and contact info, thanks to a ring around a user's profile picture whenever they share a status update.

Lastly, new Link Previews on Status mean that whenever a user posts a link, a visual preview of the link's content is available, giving contacts a better idea of what the link is before they click.

As WABetaInfo notes, some of these features are not exactly new, but they have been added to the list of recent improvements for status updates to highlight WhatsApp's commitment to improving the user experience.

WhatsApp says these updates have started rolling out to all users globally and will be available to everyone in the coming weeks.

Article Link: WhatsApp Announces Slew of New Status Update Features

 

[contacos]

WhatsApp describes it as offering a way of sending more personal updates, especially if users feel more comfortable expressing themselves by talking rather than typing.

my sister, 24/7 .. like she never stops! I wish I had such convenience to my own voice. Typing all the way

 

[TwoBytes]

iPad app?
No?
Meh.

 

[Infodataset]

Great. Now everyone can see my ads link

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

It is frustrating the biggest messaging platform in Europe still doesn’t have an iPad app. How many years now?

 

[timber]

These are already jump the shark features for me actually making the app worse but it's fine, someone will use them.

What would be nice was a less phone centric approach in availability.

 

[senttoschool]

The native Apple Silicon version of WhatsApp for the Mac is so much faster than the current version. Try it if you haven't.

 

[nymphe]

I need one feature for status updates: Being able to turn them off.

At least they removed the stupid camera button in the middle. Though I still couldn't find an use for "Communities" feature.

Don't understand me wrong, I like Whatsapp. Being in Europe, Whatsapp is basically a must, but I'm also happy with the feature set. I honestly think it is better than iMessage as well.

Anyway, maybe the ipad version will be released in next decade.

 

[deepan84]

Whatsapp is THE messenger in Malaysia and India, closely followed by Telegram. iMessage? Nah...

 

[Reason077]

Prediction: WhatsApp to keep adding “social” features until it turns into the new FaceBook. Will get ads at some point too, no doubt.

Check back here in 2025 and see if I’m right.

 

[Reason077]

Whatsapp is THE messenger in Malaysia and India

Same in the UK, and all of Western Europe afaik. The only people who ever iMessage me are Americans, and my Mum (who will switch between messaging apps randomly).

 

[everlast3434]

They need the Status Update: Uninstalling WhatsApp 😎

 

[Feek]

The native Apple Silicon version of WhatsApp for the Mac is so much faster than the current version. Try it if you haven't.

I did, it was the buggiest application I've used for a long time. So bad that even the built in method of reporting bugs didn't work. I tried to report that as a bug but......

 

[MajorFubar]

WhatsApp is THE default messaging app in most of the world. Mostly I use WhatsApp by default because sending multimedia messages via the iPhone Messages app to 'green recipients' costs me extra money on top of my celular plan, and outside of the USA, 'green recipients' represent the majority of users by far. Whereas WhatsApp (and others) use the internet, so sending multimedia messages is essentially free, or more accurately, tied into the cost of my home-broadband and cellular plans.

 

[contacos]

Same in the UK, and all of Western Europe afaik. The only people who ever iMessage me are Americans, and my Mum (who will switch between messaging apps randomly).

Same here 😅 my mum always mixes up WhatsApp and iMessage because both icons are green and I would randomly receive photos via iMessage

 

[rizzo41999]

Outside the US, the whole world uses WhatsApp

 

[DennyPackard]

WhatsApp has announced some new features for Status Updates, which allow users to share ephemeral updates with friends and close contacts on the popular encrypted chat platform.

First up is Private Audience Selector, which allows users to choose who views their status updates. This isn't technically new, since users are already able to control who sees their status updates when sharing them, but this implementation provides a more customized experience. The most recent audience selection is saved and used as the default for the next status update.

Next, Voice Status. Using this feature, users can share voice notes of up to 30 seconds via their status. WhatsApp describes it as offering a way of sending more personal updates, especially if users feel more comfortable expressing themselves by talking rather than typing.

Status Reactions allow users to react to status updates from friends and close contacts by swiping up and tapping one of eight emojis, including Heart-Eyes, Face with Tears of Joy, Face with Open Mouth, Crying Face, Folded Hands, Clapping Hands, Party Popper, and One Hundred Points. WhatsApp says this was the number one feature that users requested.

New Status Profile Rings make it easier to see status updates right within chat lists, group participant lists, and contact info, thanks to a ring around a user's profile picture whenever they share a status update.

Lastly, new Link Previews on Status mean that whenever a user posts a link, a visual preview of the link's content is available, giving contacts a better idea of what the link is before they click.

As WABetaInfo notes, some of these features are not exactly new, but they have been added to the list of recent improvements for status updates to highlight WhatsApp's commitment to improving the user experience.

WhatsApp says these updates have started rolling out to all users globally and will be available to everyone in the coming weeks.

Article Link: WhatsApp Announces Slew of New Status Update Features

How can I find and download an older version of WhatsApp that is compatible with my 2019 iPod Touch?
OR find a desktop version of WhatsApp that doesn't need to be paired with the iOS version??

 

[timber]

Outside the US, the whole world uses WhatsApp

This is one case where Apple's strong US bias really served them wrong.

They had the opportunity to set and even control the standard for instante messaging and totally blew it. Not as entertaining as Google's fails in IM but still a total fail.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Still no App for the iPad. Just make it happen already.

 

[d686546s]

This is one case where Apple's strong US bias really served them wrong.

They had the opportunity to set and even control the standard for instante messaging and totally blew it. Not as entertaining as Google's fails in IM but still a total fail.

Yeah, absolutely agree. As a non-US iPhone user I'd really prefer using the Messages app whenever possible due to its good integration with the Apple Watch, but not even most iPhone users use iMessage as their default around here. If you add in a healthy mix between iPhone and Android users across friends, family and colleagues setting up any kind of group chat in Messages really is a non-starter.

So I've been trying to move people to Signal as much as possible, but at the end of the day everyone has WhatsApp and Apple is not budging on supporting RCS so sooner or later you end up using the baseline messenger, which is WhatsApp.

Edit: Whether Apple really had a chance of setting the standard is a different question since WhatsApp predates iMessage and was already quite popular before Apple decided to enter the market.

 

[and 1989 others]

Have they announced they will stop scraping all the data from your phone, feeding it back to their data centres, building your individual profile to sell all the information for a substantial profit?

 

[IwatchScot]

You’re talking as if you have the choice for what messenger you use.

Hint: you don’t. You use what everybody else uses. And WhatsApp won in many countries due to it being one of the earliest cross platform messenger that worked.

Signal is only used by a very minor subset of the population here.

I use both but signal doesnt have a backup for IOS which i dont like. I lost a new iphone and could not transfer my old chats

 

[iCyprus]

I mainly use WhatsApp and iMessage but lately, I moved to Telegram. Much faster, has better image quality, and has a clean interface.

No to mention here in Europe messenger is a thing.

 

[timber]

The problem with IM is that you cant really choose the app.

 

[haruhiko]

I use both but signal doesnt have a backup for IOS which i dont like. I lost a new iphone and could not transfer my old chats

Yes, that’s extremely annoying. Even if you have the old phone with you, the transfer takes ages. It also doesn’t back up the chats in Apple’s iCloud backup nor direct device to device transfer