WhatsApp likely to get an Instagram-like ‘Close Friends’ feature

WhatsApp is on the verge of launching a new feature that mirrors Instagram's popular 'Close Friends' option, aimed at enhancing user privacy and control. This innovation will enable users to curate a select group from their contacts to view their status updates, streamlining the sharing process. According to insights from WABetaInfo, a site dedicated to tracking updates in WhatsApp, this feature has been identified in the latest beta version for Android, specifically version 2.26.5.11. With this addition, users will no longer need to adjust privacy settings manually each time they post an update. Instead, they can simply create a designated group of individuals and share their updates with just a single tap. The new functionality will provide users with four distinct options for sharing status updates: “My contacts,” “My contacts except,” “Only share with,” and “Close friends.” This will grant users significant control over who sees their status, allowing them to add or remove contacts from their close friends list at their discretion. Notably, any changes made to this list will not notify the removed contacts or alter past shared updates. Currently, this 'Close Friends' feature is still under development and in the testing phase, with a stable release expected in the coming weeks. Additionally, WhatsApp is rumored to be working on a host of other features, including the ability to save drafts for photos and videos, customizable profiles for channel administrators, and more. As such, users can look forward to a wealth of new tools in upcoming updates.