WhatsApp has been ushering in new features regularly through its beta program and now it seems that the most popular messaging app will get a bunch of new social networking features including publishing status updates. This feature is bundled with the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.16.336 and as of now can only be accessed through a rooted phone with the Xposed module installed.
To begin with, WhatsApp has now baked in a newly revamped status tab which lets users see updates from their friends. Users can post images, videos, and texts like any other social website out there. The dedicated section functions as a timeline containing recent statuses from your contacts list. Additionally, there’s a little camera section on the left which directly allows you to publish and of course, you can doodle on images which were recently added on WhatsApp. The status view’s interface has been completely inherited from Instagram Stories with a little time bar on top, full-screen media, and the caption on the bottom. Furthermore, you can individually select which contacts are allowed to view your story. You can, just like messages, also view the read/delivered receipts.
The status view’s interface has been completely inherited from Instagram Stories (*cough* Snapchat Stories *cough*) with a little time bar on top, full-screen media, and the caption on the bottom. Furthermore, you can individually select which contacts are allowed to view your story. You can, just like messages, also view the read/delivered receipts. Moreover, the main menu is now devoid of the contacts tab and the update has even replaced the contacts icon with a new small ring with a plus sign (yes, exactly like Instagram).
As of now, the features are in hidden mode and most likely, they will appear in an imminent update for everyone. WhatsApp has been picking up cues from other messaging apps, for instance, it introduced Encryption, a feature that was one of the USP for Telegram and now the Instagram-inspired stories which itself was inspired by what Snapchat has been offering for years.