WhatsApp Status – A Snapchat-Inspired Feature

By Sia. in Social Media. February 27, 2017.

As of late, Facebook has been introducing various features, that are, shall we say, inspired by other social network services. Now, the company has decided to implement some major improvements to WhatsApp’s Status feature, giving it features that are reminiscent of Snapchat’s "Stories" feature.

Upon receiving the WhatsApp update that contains the new "Status" feature, users will now be able to see a new "Status" tab located just beside the "Chats and Calls" tab. Tapping on the "My Status" option will open up the "Status" creation screen.

Read Also: 20 WhatsApp Tips & Tricks

To create a status, you can opt to take a new photo or video, or use a pre-existing one instead. Alternatively, screenshots and GIFs can also be used as statuses. Once you’ve selectEed an image or video, you’ll be able to add emojis, captions, and even draw or write on the "Status" itself. When you’re done customizing the "Status", tapping on the "Next" button will cause the image to be set as your status for the next 24 hours, after which it will be automatically deleted.

If you would like to restrict your Statuses to only a selected group of people, WhatsApp lets you do so via the "Status Privacy" menu. From there, you’re allowed to restrict certain people from viewing your statuses, or only allowing certain people to view your statuses.

Lastly, WhatsApp protects your "Status" updates with end-to-end encryption, so rest assured that your Status is secure.