Observed Signal · Oct 13, 2025 · Technical Release · Source: OnlineMarketing.de · Impact: 4/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
WhatsApp About: Disappearing Status Like Instagram Notes
WhatsApp is developing a new About section that lets users show a brief status in chats using an emoji and a few words. The About area is designed to parallel Instagram Notes and Slack-like context lines, turning the profile into a social-content area. The status would be visible in chats to selected contacts and would disappear after a user-defined time. Available durations reportedly include one hour, eight hours, one day, two days, one week, or a personalized timeframe. The feature was highlighted by app researcher Radu Oncescu, who can access WhatsApp About on iOS. If rolled out, About could give brands and creators a lightweight way to share updates within conversations, complementing existing status features. It remains unconfirmed when the feature will launch publicly.
Technical Release for a major platform with potential industry impact.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- WhatsApp is developing a new About section for user profiles within chats.
- About uses an emoji and a few words to indicate the current status (e.g., traveling, sick, open to conversations).
- About disappears after a user-defined duration with options including one hour, eight hours, one day, two days, one week, or a personalized timeframe.
- App researcher Radu Oncescu cited the feature and demonstrated access to WhatsApp About on iOS.
- The About feature is described as similar to Instagram Notes and could be used by brands and creators.
Connected Companies & Entities
2 Entities mappedRelated Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
WhatsApp Status to appear in Chat Tab
WhatsApp is testing a feature to surface status updates directly in the Chat tab, arranged horizontally like Instagram Stories. In an Android beta reported by WABetaInfo, status updates will appear beside chats with a horizontal row, initially showing up to three story hints and later enabling a scrollable list of all new updates. The change aims to boost creators' reach by making status content more accessible within chats. The piece also notes WhatsApp’s broader push toward social features and references Meta's global rollout of Status Ads in the Updates tab, which could increase exposure for status content and ads. Industry observer Matt Navarra likens the move to Instagram’s Stories. WhatsApp currently serves over three billion monthly active users.
WhatsApp tests expandable status bar above chats
WhatsApp is developing a redesigned status interface that places Status updates directly above the chat list. According to WABetainfo (reported by t3n), the new view will be hidden by default and revealable by swiping down from the top of the screen to avoid being intrusive. Status entries will be sorted by relevance—prioritizing contacts the user messages most often—while muted contacts’ updates will appear at the end as hidden statuses. The feature is still in development, not yet available to beta testers broadly, and WhatsApp has not announced a general rollout timeline.
WhatsApp Builds Custom Audiences for Status
WhatsApp (a Meta subsidiary) is developing a Custom Audiences feature for Status updates that lets users segment who can see their Instagram‑Stories‑style Status posts. Reported by WABetaInfo, the feature will allow creators and users to create named audience groups (with emojis) that hide other members from viewers, and will mark Statuses sent to those audiences with a purple ring instead of the standard green. WhatsApp already offers manual include/exclude contact controls, but the new capability creates reusable, named groups and a dedicated Close Friends option is also in development. WhatsApp is also testing a horizontal Status carousel that appears in the chat tab. These features are under development and not yet publicly rolled out.
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