WhatsApp has announced a bunch of new updates coming to status. Photo: iStock
Social media giant WhatsApp has announced a bunch of new updates coming to status, giving users more ways to connect with family and friends.
WhatsApp said for added privacy, users can now also use the audience selector to control who can view their status.
Other new features include voice messages, status reactions for quick responses, status profile rings and link previews for more visual status updates.
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WhatsApp said status is a popular way to share ephemeral updates with friends and close contacts on the platform.
They disappear in 24 hours and may include photos, videos, GIFs, text, and more.
“We’re excited to add a set of new features to status on WhatsApp that make it easier to express yourself and connect with others.”
“Every status you share may not always be right for all of your contacts. We’re providing you with the flexibility to update your privacy settings per status so you can choose who views your status each time you update it.”
“Your most recent audience selection will be saved and used as the default for your next status,” WhatsApp said.
WhatsApp has also introduced the ability to record and share voice messages up to 30 seconds on WhatsApp status.
It said voice status can be used for sending more personal updates, especially if you feel more comfortable expressing yourself by talking rather than typing.
The social media giant has also added status reactions to provide a quick and easy way to respond to status updates from your friends and close contacts.
WhatsApp said this was the #1 feature users wanted, following the launch of Reactions last year.
“You can now quickly reply to any status by swiping up and tapping on one of eight emojis. You can of course still reply to a status with text, voice message, stickers and more.
With the new status profile ring users will also never miss a status from a loved one.
“This ring will be present around your contact’s profile picture whenever they share a status update. It will be visible in the chat lists, group participant lists, and contact info,” WhatsApp said.
WhatsApp users will be able to post a link on their status and automatically see a visual preview of the link content, just like when sending a message.
“Visual previews make your statuses look better and also give your contacts a better idea of what the link is before they click.”
“These updates have started rolling out to users globally and will be available to everyone in the coming weeks. We look forward to people enjoying these new status features soon,” WhatsApp said.
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