A variety of new features are coming to WhatsApp, strengthening its presence among social media platforms. Just hours after announcing plans for a disappearing messages feature, a new update was revealed that allows users to share status updates from other apps directly and restrict them to Close Friends only.
With this feature, users can post photos and videos as status updates directly from any app, unlike before, when they had to open WhatsApp and navigate through their contact list. This new functionality makes sharing statuses faster and more seamless.
Sharing Status with Close Friends
According to Wabetainfo, the update will allow users to immediately edit their status using text, emojis, or drawings before posting. They will also be able to control exactly who sees their updates.
The feature is still in development and will be available in a future update. It focuses on creating a “Close Friends” list directly from the privacy settings—an interface familiar to users, similar to Instagram’s feature for controlling who sees updates.
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Statuses shared with close friends will appear in a different color (like Instagram’s green).
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Managing the Close Friends list is completely private; adding or removing someone does not send a notification.
Disappearing Messages
Earlier, WhatsApp announced the disappearing messages feature, which allows users to set short timers so messages vanish after a set period. This feature is currently available in beta for Android 2.25.22.22.
WhatsApp is considering adding more expiration options for disappearing messages. Currently, messages can disappear after 24 hours, 7 days, or 90 days. Future updates will allow users to choose timers as short as 1 hour up to 12 hours.
These updates enhance privacy, ease of use, and user control, keeping WhatsApp competitive with other social media platforms.
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