Instead of the text-only status that lets people know whether you're busy or available to chat, the new Status feature uses photos, text, emojis and sketches to show what you're doing. If that sounds familiar, it could be because it appears to be inspired by Snapchat. And unlike Snapchat and Instagram, WhatsApp can protect your Status updates with end-to-end encryption. Here's what you need to know about the new feature. When will I get the Status feature? Who can see my Status? By default, only your contacts can view your Status, but the privacy settings let you change that. With the Status tab selected on an iPhone, tap on Privacy. This still shares your Status with the rest of your Contact list. If you change your privacy settings after uploading a Status, keep in mind the new settings will only impact future updates. Viewing your friends' Statuses is a lot like Snapchat If you already use Snapchat Stories or Instagram Stories, then you'll feel right at home with Status. A list of friends who've shared a Status will fill in. Take a photo or video, or pick one from your camera roll. There's also an option to add a caption that will be shown on the bottom of the photo or video as your contacts watch it. You can either send your Status directly to a friend, as a photo or video within a conversation thread, or you can tap My Status at the top of the list to update your Status. And you can upload GIFs! In the year 2017, supporting animated images, or GIFs, in an app is a requirement. As such, WhatsApp Status will accept GIFs you've saved to your camera roll or photos app. Select a GIF, trim it down if you need to, and share just as you would a regular, boring, photo or video. Your Status will remain active for 24 hours, after which it disappears. Sadly, there doesn't appear to be a way to save a Status to your phone. Whatever you capture and create in WhatsApp is limited to WhatsApp. Find out who's viewing your Status A view counter is placed at the bottom of your screen, showing you how many people have watched or looked at your status. You can swipe up on the screen to view a list of contact names who have viewed your Status. You can get away with screenshots Unlike Snapchat, WhatsApp does not alert you when a contact takes a screenshot of your Status. In other words, be conscious of exactly what you are sharing to your Status, just because it disappears from your Status after 24 hours doesn't mean no one saved a copy.
