HIGHLIGHTS
- The new Status update is mentioned in WhatsApp for Desktop.
- The functionality may soon be accessible on Android and iOS devices, and WhatsApp is also working on bringing group polls to desktop computers.
WhatsApp was discovered testing the ability to display Status updates straight from the Chats list. The new functionality is anticipated to increase the Status feature on the instant messaging program by allowing users to rapidly view the statuses of their friends. Furthermore, WhatsApp has been observed developing a feature that would allow users to organize group polls on the desktop. It would allow group members to vote on a specific choice and view the overall number of votes cast.
According to WhatsApp beta tracker WABetaInfo, Facebook parent Meta's instant messaging app is presently testing the option to show Status updates to users straight from their Chats list or when they search for any of their contacts within the program. According to the source, status updates will surface when the user hits the profile image of their contact. This appears to be similar to how you can now view the Stories shared by the profiles you follow on Meta's Instagram.
Since February 2017, WhatsApp has had the Status feature in place to provide users with an engaging experience similar to Instagram Stories. Since its introduction, the functionality has been accessible via the app's dedicated Status tab. WhatsApp, on the other hand, appears to be broadening the feature's reach and allowing users to highlight their Status updates more prominently by bringing them to the Chats list.
WABetaInfo uploaded an image to show how Status updates will display right in the Chats list. It was taken from a future build of WhatsApp Desktop, although the identical feature is reported to be accessible to WhatsApp users on Android and iOS releases. It will also most likely emerge in a future beta release of WhatsApp.
WhatsApp's Status function was also recently discovered receiving swift replies, allowing users to express their feelings about their friends' Status updates using eight different emojis.
According to WABetaInfo, WhatsApp has released a new Desktop beta (version 2.2216.2) that includes references to allowing users to run group polls in addition to the ability to monitor status changes from the Chats list. In a poll, group members would be able to vote for their preferred choice and view the overall number of votes received. Users, on the other hand, are unlikely to see who voted for a given choice.
WhatsApp was discovered testing group polls on iOS in March. It was also shown in a few screenshots last month.
Exact dates for when WhatsApp's group polls functionality will be made available to the public have yet to be announced. Given its track record, it may take some time to provide the functionality to users and would want to test it first among beta testers.
Separately, WABetaInfo says that WhatsApp for Android beta 2.22.10.14 has references to a new footer emphasizing that personal communications on the app are end-to-end encrypted. WhatsApp for Android beta 2.22.8.7, which was launched in March, had the identical footnote at the bottom of the call history section, informing users that calls on the app are end-to-end encrypted.
