WhatsApp Beta adds Instagram-like ‘Close Friends’ feature for status updates | Technology News

With the introduction of the latest WhatsApp Beta for the iOS 25.23.10.80 update, and its availability on the TestFlight app, the Meta-owned messaging service is working on a feature that would allow users to share status updates with their close contacts. WhatsApp is exploring the prospect of adding a feature that would let users choose a more personal audience for their status updates.
Creating a ‘close friends’ l within the privacy settings screen is the main goal of this planned feature. Users can decide at the time of publishing whether to share a new status with their default audience or just their chosen close friends once this separate l is complete.
Similar to the feature on Instagram, these updates will be visually dinguished through a different colour, making it clear to anyone viewing that the status was shared only with close friends. Managing the close friends l is designed to be discreet.
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If someone is added or removed from the l, they will not receive any notification about the change and the subsequent Status updates. In the event that a user updates the l after sharing a status with their close friends, the previous status will be available to those who were on the l at the time of publishing, and will not immediately include any newly added contacts.
The user would have to manually remove the status update and publish it again in order to implement the new settings for a status that was previously shared with close friends. Although it might take a little more work, this guarantees clarity and avoids inadvertent changes in visibility after a status has already been posted.

Furthermore, in a recent iOS 25.22.83 update, WhatsApp’s Beta platform got a new feature that will eventually be rolled out globally – a dedicated ‘My Status’ option in the iOS share sheet, allowing users to post photos and videos as status updates directly from any app.
WhatsApp said the new shortcut eliminates the need for users to choose WhatsApp before navigating through their contact l, which speeds up the process. WhatsApp claims that the update makes sharing easier and faster enabling users to quickly alter their status before publishing it using text, drawings, or emojis. With an emphasis on granting users greater choice over who they communicate with, WhatsApp seems to be investigating other options for sharing status updates.
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