WhatsApp has been testing several features, and a new one has now been spotted in the beta version of the app. The platform is testing a voice status update, which sounds pretty cool since WhatsApp currently lets you send voice messages to regular chats. The feature is pretty self-explanatory. It allows you to share a voice note as a status update. Here’s everything we know about the latest update on WhatsApp.
WaBetaInfo has spotted the new feature in the 2.22.21.5 Android beta update, and eligible users will see it in the text status section of the app. The messaging app lets you configure who can see your voice status update. People also gain control over their voice recordings, as the app also offers the ability to reject a recording before making it public.
It is not known whether the pause process provided by WhatsApp for regular chats will be seamless. The app automatically saves your voice messages even if you close WhatsApp while recording something, allowing you to continue recording the message you left behind. It is not clear whether the Voice Status feature will have an edit or replay option. We should clarify this further when this feature becomes available to more people.
A voice note can be shared as a status update on WhatsApp
This new change has been spotted in the latest beta release of the popular chat app for Android (version 2.22.16.3). At most, it’s an expansion of the status options on WhatsApp for status updates, which are currently two: an image or a short written post.
When this new update comes to standard release, you’ll be able to record a voice clip as a status update, which is really handy if you’re on the go and want to quickly update your friends. Here’s what the option looks like
WABetaInfo notes that the feature is currently under development (not yet released to beta testers), so there are no firm dates for its official release yet. Another notable thing to mention here is that the new voice status will respect your status privacy settings and will be end-to-end encrypted for security.
We can imagine that it will be available for iOS and Android as well. We’ll make sure to keep you updated if we find out about it.
With this new feature, WhatsApp seems to be thinking of how to further improve the status on the popular chat app. Last month, another beta showed a way to better display WhatsApp status updates, and in the future they’ll be visible in your chat list, so you never miss an update from your friends. We wonder if WhatsApp plans to create a version of Stories with these status updates in the future.