WhatsApp Adds New Interactions for Status Updates

WhatsApp is enhancing its status feature by introducing new options to make them more engaging and interactive.

In recent years, the WhatsApp Status feature that was introduced in 2017, has added several new features, including voice updates, link previews and emoji reactions. Another update aims to align it with Meta's other platforms. 

This feature allows users to share photos, videos, GIFs, voice messages, links, or text with their WhatsApp contacts for 24 hours, after which the content disappears, similar to Instagram Stories or Snapchat Snaps. Like conversations, these statuses are protected by end to end encryption, ensuring privacy.

Meta is determined to make the status feature more popular among its users. To achieve this, the company has decided to enhance its appeal through a few improvements, enabling everyone to "spread love" and "connect with those who matter most" through WhatsApp statuses. As announced in their blog post, two new interactive functions that have already proven successful on Facebook and Instagram are being rolled out: likes and private mentions.

There are now two new interaction options for WhatsApp Status. Users can now send a "like" on a WhatsApp status, similar to the option available for Instagram Stories. By clicking on the green heart, the user will be notified in the list of those who viewed their status. Notably, the "like" is not visible to other users.

Private mentions, on the other hand, allow users to discreetly tag another individual, as seen on Facebook and Instagram. The mentioned person will be informed privately without the mention appearing in the status, making it easy for them to share.

These features are currently being rolled out and will soon be available worldwide. Meta has also announced that WhatsApp will receive additional functions for both the Status and Updates tabs in the coming months.

As social media increasingly focuses on ephemeral content and realtime interactions, WhatsApp's status updates play a key role in keeping users engaged while maintaining privacy with end to end encryption, setting it apart from some competitors.