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WhatsApp is preparing to give its Status feature a more intimate twist. According to WABetaInfo, the platform is developing a “Close Friends” option for iOS beta version 25.23.10.80, echoing Instagram’s popular tool that lets users share more personal updates with a smaller, trusted circle.
At present, WhatsApp Status allows broad sharing with all contacts, selective exclusions, or painstakingly handpicked recipients. The upcoming feature simplifies this by letting users create a dedicated Close Friends list in their privacy settings. Once activated, status updates can be shared either with everyone or exclusively with that curated group. Posts sent to Close Friends will stand out visually, marked with a distinct colour ring.
Discretion is central to the design. People won’t be notified if they are added to or removed from a Close Friends list, sparing users the inevitable awkwardness such changes might create. Like regular Status updates, these posts will vanish after twenty-four hours. Crucially, they will also remain protected by end-to-end encryption, ensuring that only intended recipients can view them. Neither Meta nor WhatsApp will have access to the content.
With over 1.5 billion users engaging with Status daily, the addition of a Close Friends feature could reshape how people use the platform—shifting it from a broad announcement board to a more personal space for selective sharing. For many, it may encourage greater authenticity, allowing updates that feel too personal for a wider audience. In an era where privacy and intimacy are prized online, WhatsApp’s latest move suggests it wants to keep pace not only with competitors but also with the evolving expectations of its global community.
**This news was published on Times of India on 2nd September, 2025.
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