WhatsApp is working on putting Status updates in more places

Whatsapp Message Hero (Image credit: Luke Filipowicz / iMore)

What you need to know

WhatsApp is testing putting Status updates in the main chat view.
Status updates are being tested in terms of search results, making them more obvious when looking for messages and contacts.

WhatsApp is reportedly testing a change that puts the under-used Status update feature into more places including the main chat list and search results.

While WhatsApp has offered a Status update feature for a while, it doesn't appear to be a heavily-used one. The feature itself is similar to Instagram Stories, but it can be easily missed. Now, WABetaInfo reports that a new beta release of the app puts Status updates into new places — the main chat list and search results.

According to the report, anyone wanting to be able to see a Status update can tap a profile picture to see it.

Whatsapp Status Results In Chat Lists (Image credit: WABetaInfo)

As you can see in this screenshot, the first contact has published a status update and it can also be seen right within the chats list or when the user is searching for chats and messages. If the user clicks on the chat cell, WhatsApp opens the conversation with the contact but if they click on the profile picture of the contact that published a status update, their status update shows up. Surely more people will start viewing status updates published by their contacts after the release of this feature.

That final sentence is likely the whole point here — WhatsApp appears keen to make sure that more people become aware of the Status update profile as a result of the change.

WhatsApp is one of the best iPhone apps for staying in touch with other people, especially those who are using Android devices that don't have access to iMessage. That's the main use case for WhatsApp, but the improved visibility of Status updates could drive the use of that feature — at least, that's what WhatsApp will be hoping.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.

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