WhatsApp Will Soon Let You Add a Close Friends Status Just Like Instagram: Report

A new feature is said to be working on WhatsApp that will allow users of the app to share Status updates with a limited set of contacts, similar to Close Friends in Instagram. Users are expected to be able to more control over users who can see some updates, which is likely to give the app’s user an even private sharing experience. The feature is still under development and may be first for beta testers before a wider rollout. Introducing it would make personal updates easier to share with the smaller circle without changing privacy settings every time.

WhatsApp Working on Close Friends Ring Indicator for Status Updates

The Close Friends feature for Status updates was tested in WhatsApp beta for Android version 2 on Wednesday, according to feature tracker WABetaInfo. A 26-year-old . 5 . 13 . While the feature is still in development, WhatsApp has not announced a release timeline for its feature but beta testers are likely to be given access to it before that feature will be available to all users.

The report highlights that the Meta-owned platform has been developing custom contact lists for Status updates, allowing users to group people into personalised categories rather than changing privacy settings for every post. Building on this, the platform is now reportedly working on a dedicated Close Friends list, which could offer a more private way to share updates with selected contacts.

The Close Friends are likely to have two options for users to set up this list of s. They can also select contacts directly through Status privacy settings or control the list from within the status screen itself. WhatsApp is also likely to allow users to change the list anytime, although updates would only affect Status posts made after the changes.

Additionally, the feature tracker says contacts added to the list will notice a different coloured ‘stuff’ around the user’s profile picture (indicating that status was shared privately and confirmed they were included like in Close friends on Instagram Status).

WhatsApp also is said to be developing an optional subscription plan that will unlock exclusive features such as premium stickers, themes and extra chat pinning according to a new report from the company.