A few weeks after we reported the update was in the works, WhatsApp has finally made it possible to have voice recordings as your status. If the voice recording is long, you will have to upload it to your status in 30-second chunks, just as you would with video. The Meta-owned company has also introduced a few other changes, which we will be looking at below.
Privacy has been increased, as you can now fine-tune who sees your status updates. You have the option of selecting ‘My contacts except’ to exclude a few people you do not want to view your updates or ‘Only share with’ if you only want to share your updates with a handful of people. Once you have selected your preference, it will be saved for the next time you want to upload a different status.
Still on status-related updates, a new status profile ring is now present around your contacts’ profile pictures whenever they make a status update. The presence of the ring will clue you that the person has uploaded a status. The ring will be visible in the chat list, group participant lists, and contact info section
Ever wanted to quickly acknowledge a status update from your friend without typing everything out? Well, you might have been part of the group that requested WhatsApp for status reactions. You can now quickly react to a status update by swiping up and selecting one of the 8 emojis that pop up. If you need to say more, you can also send a text, voice message or sticker just as before.
Finally, and what is my favourite addition, statuses will now have link previews enabled similar to what chats have. Once you add a link to your status update, the preview will automatically show up. While it makes everything look better, it also gives you a clue as to where the link will lead you before clicking on it, which is more important.
