WhatsApp is working on a new feature which will give more privacy control to users over the Status settings. The new feature looks similar to Instagram’s Close Friends, where you will be able to share certain Status posts with just a small/handpicked group of your contacts. This means sharing status privately with a selected group of friends, which will make the filtering process a whole lot simpler.
People first spotted this Close Friends feature in the WhatsApp beta for Android (version 2.26.5.13), thanks to WABetaInfo. It is still in the works, and WhatsApp has not said when everyone will get it. Usually, these updates land with beta testers before rolling out to everyone else.
How will the Close Friend Status feature work on WhatsApp?
It seems like WhatsApp is building on its current privacy tools – instead of fiddling with your privacy settings every single time you post a status, you will get to create a Close Friends list ahead of time. Then, when you want to share something just with them, you pick that list, and you are good to go.
There are two ways you will be able to manage your Close Friends: either add people through your Status privacy settings or tweak the list right from the Status posting screen.
With this method, you can quickly pick who sees what without a hassle. And do not worry – any changes you make to your Close Friends list only affect future status updates, not the old ones.
There’s also a small touch that makes a difference: a coloured ring around your profile pic when you post a Close Friends status. If your friend sees that ring, they know you picked it for something a bit more private — just like Instagram does.
About the upcoming WhatsApp feature
WhatsApp has a few other things in the pipeline, too. As per the reports, the platform is testing out a paid subscription plan with perks like exclusive stickers, custom themes, and more options to pin chats. Details are still under wraps, but they are clearly aiming at giving the users more ways to customise their experience.
Overall, if WhatsApp rolls this out, sharing personal updates gets easier and more private. You can post sensitive stuff without worrying about everyone on your contact list seeing it.
