WhatsApp has made some changes to its Status feature, which was added to the instant-messaging app in 2017. Key to this update is a new function called “Voice Status,” which allows you to record voice notes up to 30 seconds in length and use them as status updates.
According to the company, this is a great option if you prefer to speak your updates rather than type them or film a video. “Voice status can be used for sending more personal updates, especially if you feel more comfortable expressing yourself by talking rather than typing,” Whatsapp explained in a blog post.
A new feature called “Private Audience Selector” has also been added, making it possible to restrict access to your status updates to a specific group of people. You can tailor the visibility of your status updates to specific groups of people, giving you greater control and convenience than is possible with the current privacy settings.
With Status Reactions, WhatsApp now gives you a “quick and easy way to respond to your friends’ or close contacts’ status updates” using emoji. You can respond to a status by swiping up on it and tapping one of eight emojis instead of typing or leaving a voicemail.
The Status Profile Rings feature highlights your profile with a circle whenever you post a status update, which other users can see in your profile’s chat history, group members list, and profile. And now, when you update your status with a link, your friends and followers will be able to see a preview of the linked content before deciding whether or not to click on it.
According to WaBetaInfo, some of the new features were announced previously, but are now being highlighted as a set of Status updates. For example, my Samsung Galaxy smartphone already has the status profile rings and link previews announced today by Whatsapp.
Whatsapp has said that the updates are currently being pushed out to users around the world and will be accessible to everyone “in the coming weeks.”
The native macOS client for WhatsApp was made available for public beta testing one month ago. In addition, just recently, the app’s developers introduced official proxy support for users all over the world, allowing them to continue using the app even if their network prevents them from doing so.
