WhatsApp status gets ‘best friends’, voicemails and more

This Tuesday (7), WhatsApp announces statuses get five new features. This update “pack” brings new ways to post on the app and also bring closer contacts like friends and family together.

Some of the news announced by WhatsApp today were already being tested in beta versions of the application. According to the company, They will be available to all users globally in the “coming weeks”implies that availability will be gradual.

More “candid” WhatsApp statuses

Among the novelties of WhatsApp is an “audience selector”, which is very similar to the “best friends” function of Instagram. with tool, user can choose which people can see their status posts. In the privacy settings, it will be possible to choose the closest friends and family in each added state. This selection is saved by default, but can be updated at any time.

Application settings include the following options for who can see a status:

• my contacts: all contacts in your list;
• Except for my contacts…: contacts only, but with a list of people blocked from viewing posts;
• Just share with…: A user-selected list, from whom to see status updates.

Another tool that aims to bring the user closer to people is, profile status circles. With this, the closest people get a circle around their profile picture to distinguish them. This visual feature “will appear in conversation and group member lists, as well as contact information.”

Since at least July of last year, WhatsApp was testing a tool to broadcast the sounds in the app’s state. This tool has just been made public and allows Record and send a voice message of up to 30 seconds.

WhatsApp also launched status link previews. So, when posting a link in the status, a visual preview of the content will be displayed, as in traditional messages.

Finally, as with traditional messages, the app now has reactions to posted statuses. According to the company, “This was the feature users most wanted after the launch of Reactions last year.” To react to a situation, simply tap the “Reply” button.

Reactions to WhatsApp statuses only eight emojis available. However, as with messages, the amount may increase in the future. In addition to emojis, you can react to a situation using text, sounds, stickers and more.