Your WhatsApp Status is getting more personal with likes and private mentions

Key Takeaways

• WhatsApp is rolling out new status likes and private mentions features for all users.
• Users can now acknowledge status updates with likes and tag contacts in private mentions, enhancing personal interaction.
• Offering more control and privacy, these new features align WhatsApp more closely with other Meta platforms like Instagram and Messenger.

Is WhatsApp a messaging app or a social media platform? It's hard to tell these days, and the new status likes and private mentions functions that Meta just released blurs the lines even more.

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WhatsApp is rolling out its new features to all users starting today (via WABetaInfo). This gives people more ways to interact with the ever-popular Status updates.

Like Instagram and Messenger, but not

Source: WhatsApp

We initially spotted both status likes and private mentions in beta testing earlier this year. We weren't sure when they would roll out for everyone, so it's nice to see that day has finally arrived.

Status likes provide a way to acknowledge a contact's status update by tapping the heart emoji. It doesn't make a public notification and there's no counter. Only the person who posted the status can see who liked it, keeping it personal. It's similar to liking an Instagram story.

Private mentions allow people to tag their contacts in a status update. The tagged individuals receive a notification via private message, letting them know they've been tagged. This is useful for highlighting specific people within a larger update or for sharing content with a select audience, rather than your entire contact list. Private mentions remain hidden, and only the sender and the receiver can see them.

These new features offer more control over the user experience by adding another tool for private connection. Status likes are a subtle way to show someone you see them, and a bit like the Facebook pokes of old (remember those?). Meanwhile, private mentions let you engage with specific individuals. There's no mention of a status mute option so far.

Both of these features are similar to tools that already exist on other Meta platforms. Messenger and Instagram have nearly the same functions. The difference is WhatsApp is the world's largest messaging platform. Status likes and private mentions help it shift more towards becoming a social network in its own right.