WhatsApp has begun testing a new design for its ‘Status’ feature that will display status updates at the top of the main chat list. This new feature is available on beta versions for both Android and iOS, allowing users to easily view statuses by pulling down from the main screen. Meta has introduced this change to unify the story formats across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Kathmandu, March 11.
To enhance the effectiveness of its ‘Status’ feature, WhatsApp is experimenting with a design similar to Instagram’s ‘Story’ format. This feature places the status updates directly above the user’s main chat list. According to WABetaInfo, the feature is currently visible in beta versions on both Android and iOS. Previously, accessing status updates required navigating to the ‘Updates’ tab, but now friends’ updates can be seen directly from the main chat screen.
The new status tray will not always be visible in the chat list. Similar to Telegram’s ‘Stories’, users can pull down from the top of the chat list to reveal the status carousel. WhatsApp prioritizes showing statuses from contacts with whom users interact most frequently, making it easier to access relevant updates quickly.
This interface will closely resemble Instagram’s story tray, featuring a dedicated shortcut for adding a personal status and a separate section for muted statuses at the end. As of now, WhatsApp has not rolled out this feature publicly. It remains in the testing phase, with a global release expected in the near future. Meta aims to standardize the story format across all its platforms—Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp—through this update.
