The company announced five new WhatsApp status and reaction updates, including the ability to limit your audience and, according to Meta, the most requested new feature…
The ability to respond to status updates with emoji appears to have been the top request the company received, and is now rolling out.
We’re adding status reactions to provide a quick and easy way to respond to status updates from your friends and close contacts. It was the #1 feature that users wanted after Reactions launched last year. Now you can quickly reply to any status by swiping up and tapping one of the eight emojis. Of course, you can still reply to status with text, voicemail, stickers, and more.
Four additional status functions are introduced at the same time.
Private audience selector. Every status you share may not always be suitable for all of your contacts. We provide you with the ability to update your privacy settings on a per-status basis so that you can choose who views your status each time you update it. Your last audience selection will be saved and used as the default for your next status.
Voice status. We are introducing the ability to record and share voice messages up to 30 seconds in WhatsApp status. Voice status can be used to send more personal updates, especially if you feel more comfortable speaking rather than typing.
Status profile rings for new updates. With the new status profile ring, you will 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 appear in chat lists, group member lists, and contact information.
Status link preview. Now, when you post a link in your status, you automatically see a visual preview of the link’s content, just like when you send a message. The visual preview improves the look of your statuses and also gives your contacts a better idea of what the link is before they click.
Meta says the updates have already begun rolling out and will reach everyone “in the coming weeks.”
Mac users recently got immediate access to the Catalyst beta, previously available only through TestFlight.