The feature allows more precise control over viewing status updates

The feature provides users with greater flexibility in managing their audience

In a new step reflecting its direction toward enhancing user experience and increasing privacy levels, WhatsApp has begun testing a new feature in its beta version on iOS and Android, allowing users to more precisely control the audience of their status updates through more flexible and private sharing options.

The new feature is based on enabling users to share “Status” with specific groups of friends or a pre-defined audience, giving them greater freedom to decide who can view posted content without needing to change privacy settings each time a new update is published.

Private lists

According to recent updates in the beta version, some users can now create custom lists for status viewers, including a “Close Friends” list, where members are manually selected to receive more private and sensitive content, away from all contacts.

The updates also indicate that these lists can be modified at any time, with changes applying immediately to future status updates only, without affecting previously published statuses, which remain visible according to the privacy settings active at the time of posting.

This feature provides users with greater flexibility in managing their audience, allowing the creation of multiple lists depending on content type, whether public, private, or targeted to specific groups of contacts.

Statuses shared with private lists appear visually different, marked with a distinctive ring or indicator around the status icon, helping users easily identify the intended audience for each update.

According to the feature’s design, these statuses remain strictly visible only to contacts included in the selected list, while others cannot access them, significantly enhancing privacy and giving users more precise and secure control over sharing everyday moments.