WhatsApp To Add Close Friends Feature For Status Updates – All You Need To Know

WhatsApp is reportedly testing a brand-new Close Friends feature that will let users share their status updates with a smaller, more personal audience. According to WABetaInfo, a platform that tracks app updates, the messaging service is currently experimenting with a way for users to control who can see their status posts. This feature was recently spotted in the WhatsApp beta for iOS 25.23.10.80.

Much like Instagram’s Close Friends option, statuses shared in this mode will appear in a different colour to make it clear that they are visible only to a selected group of people.

WhatsApp’s Close Friends Feature – How It Works

As per the report, WhatsApp is working on a dedicated “close friends” list within its privacy settings. Once set up, users can decide at the time of posting whether to share an update with their default audience or restrict it to close friends.

• This list is completely private, and those added or removed will not receive notifications.
• If a status is shared with close friends and the list is later changed, the original post will still only be visible to the original selected audience.
• To extend access to newly added contacts, the user must delete the original post and re-upload it with the updated list.

As WABetaInfo notes, “The added layer of exclusivity also makes close friends' updates feel more intimate, allowing people to be more authentic in what they share.”

Privacy and Security

The report highlights that statuses shared with close friends will:

• Disappear within 24 hours like normal WhatsApp statuses
• Be protected with end-to-end encryption
• Remain inaccessible to both Meta and WhatsApp

This ensures that only the chosen recipients can view the updates, giving users greater control and privacy.