WhatsApp is preparing a new feature that may soon let users share their Status updates only with a small group called “close friends.” This update is under testing for iOS devices and works in the same way Instagram lets people share stories privately with selected contacts.
As of now, WhatsApp provides users with three ways to share a Status. Updates can be visible to all contacts, hidden from certain people, or shown only to selected contacts. This update will simplify the process significantly. Instead of selecting contacts each time, users will be able to create a fixed close friends list. They can then quickly share updates with that group whenever they want.
WABetaInfo, a site that monitors WhatsApp updates, spotted this feature. The report mentions that the Close Friends feature appeared in the iOS beta version (25.23.10.80). A screenshot also shows a new menu where users can see “Close Friends” as an audience choice for their Status updates.
When someone posts a Status just for close friends, there will be a visual sign to make it different from normal updates. It resembles Instagram, where stories for close friends are marked with a green ring. This will help people easily know when a post is limited to a private circle.
WhatsApp is also making sure this feature is discreet. If a user adds or removes contacts from the close friends list, the app will not send any notification to those contacts. People will only be able to see new updates made after the change. Any Status already posted will not be affected.
These updates will still follow the main WhatsApp rule where all Status posts disappear automatically after 24 hours. So even close friends updates will vanish at that time, unless the user decides to delete them earlier.
This development comes only days after WhatsApp started rolling out a new AI writing tool for iOS users. That tool helps people rewrite messages in different tones or with better clarity. WhatsApp says the tool uses Private Processing technology so that text remains protected and not shared with outside servers.
Right now, WhatsApp has not announced when the Close Friends feature will reach the public. Since it is still in testing, it may first roll out on iOS before it becomes available on Android and other platforms.
If it launches officially, this option could make WhatsApp Status updates more personal and private. It will give users a way to share photos, videos, and thoughts with only a trusted group, while keeping everything simple and temporary.