Status or Stories have become integral to every social media and messaging app, letting users share moments of their day with others. These disappear in 24 hours, and on WhatsApp, they can include photos, videos, GIFs, text, and more. With a recent update, though, the messaging platform is enhancing the Status updates experience. There are options to post voice status, react to a Status, and a Private Audience Selector.
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Here’s a summary of the new features you can expect:
Private Audience Selector: Because not every status updates you post is appropriate for all of your contacts all of the time, WhatsApp will now be able to adjust your privacy settings on a per-status basis, allowing you to pick who sees each new version of the status that you post. The most recent audience you chose will be remembered and used as the default for your subsequent status update.
Voice Status: You will soon be able to record and share voice messages up to 30 seconds long on WhatsApp status. Voice status enables more personal updates to be sent, which is especially handy if you find that expressing yourself verbally rather than typing is more comfortable for you.
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Status Reactions: You may now quickly respond to any status by swiping up and choosing one of eight different emojis from the menu that appears. You can, of course, respond to a status update with a text message, voice message, stickers, or other options. Since the introduction of Reactions a year ago, status reactions have been one of the most requested features.
Status Profile Rings for New Updates: When a contact updates their status, a ring will display around their profile image. This will be shown in the chat lists, group participant lists, and contact information, making it easy always to take advantage of a status update.
Link Previews on Status: When you send a message or post a link on your status, you’ll now see an automatic visual preview of the message or link’s content, exactly like when you send a message. Visual previews not only improve the appearance of your status updates, but they also give your contacts a better idea of the link’s content before they decide to click on it.
These updates have begun to be made available to users globally and will be available to everyone in the following weeks. Your WhatsApp statuses, like your personal chats and calls, are protected by end-to-end encryption, allowing you to share privately without risking your safety.