WhatsApp, Meta’s messaging app, has integrated in its latest update a visual feature from Instagram stories, its “sister app.” The change aims to enhance user experience when responding to contact status updates, as initially reported by WABetaInfo testers.
For some time now, both on iOS and Android, WhatsApp has had a dedicated tab called “Status” where users can post short-lived status updates (the classic 24-hour ones) and view longer-lasting updates from the channels they follow.
While longer-duration updates are a recent addition, fleeting status updates have been a staple for many years, allowing users to easily share links, text, images, and videos with multiple contacts without the need to manually forward them to each.
Up until now, contacts viewing these status updates could respond by swiping up to use emojis or by sending a complete message.
Users who have updated to WhatsApp’s beta version 2.2.26.3 on Android have noticed a new reply bar that appears fixed at the bottom of the screen when viewing status updates.
This change replaces the gesture of swiping up to initiate a reply, aligning WhatsApp’s status updates with Instagram stories, where there’s a similar reply bar that remains visible. Beta testers of the iOS version (v23.15.10.72) have reported the same change.
This Android beta version also introduces other significant changes to the status update feature, such as support for high-definition images and videos. This new feature aligns with Meta’s plans to “coalesce” all its apps, making them compatible with each other for many functions, such as simultaneous sharing of stories and status updates.
