WhatsApp, the popular messaging platform owned by Meta, continues to evolve its features to stay ahead in the competitive social media landscape. In its latest update, WhatsApp has introduced a fresh set of tools for its Status feature—enabling users to share photo collages, music snippets, and interactive stickers. These additions bring the app’s Status feature more in line with Instagram and Facebook Stories. Meanwhile, a new username selection feature is also being developed for iOS, aimed at improving privacy and personalization.
WhatsApp Status Gets Creative Upgrades
Meta officially confirmed the new Status update via a blog post, announcing four innovative tools that aim to make Status updates more expressive and interactive:
Layout for Collages: With the new Layout feature, users can now post collaged photos in a single status update. Much like Instagram’s layout options, this allows for a more dynamic visual storytelling experience.
Music Sharing: WhatsApp is enhancing audio sharing by allowing users to add songs directly to their Status. Users can turn these songs into standalone music stickers or attach them to an image or video. This builds upon the previously introduced ability to include 15-second music clips in photo statuses and 60-second music in video statuses.
Photo Stickers: One of the most engaging additions is the ability to convert any image into a sticker. This sticker can then be added to your status post, making updates more visually fun and personal.
“Add Yours” Sticker Interaction: This interactive sticker allows users to spark conversations by asking others to contribute their own updates on a shared theme. Friends can reply using their own statuses, creating a sense of community engagement.
These updates are gradually rolling out and are expected to be available to all users globally over the next few months. Meta also reiterated that Status updates remain end-to-end encrypted and visible only to users’ saved contacts.
WhatsApp Username Feature in Development
In addition to the Status update, WhatsApp is testing a long-awaited privacy-focused feature: the ability to choose a unique username. According to WABetaInfo, this feature is currently under development and was recently spotted in WhatsApp beta version 25.17.10.70 on iOS via the TestFlight app.
This new functionality will allow users to create a username made up of alphanumeric and select special characters. The rules include:
No usernames beginning with “www.”
No domain-style endings like “.com” or “.net”
Minimum of 3 and maximum of 30 characters
Once implemented, users will be able to initiate chats using usernames rather than relying on phone numbers. This is particularly useful for maintaining privacy in conversations with people who are not in one’s contact list. However, for existing contacts, the phone number will still remain visible.
Conclusion
WhatsApp’s latest updates mark a significant step in transforming the app into a more interactive, content-driven platform. By adding richer Status features and testing user-centric privacy tools like usernames, WhatsApp is clearly working to broaden its appeal beyond traditional messaging. These enhancements not only increase user engagement but also align WhatsApp more closely with the evolving expectations of today’s digital users. As these updates roll out, WhatsApp users can expect a more expressive, secure, and community-driven messaging experience
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