WhatsApp to roll out Instagram-like ‘Close Friends’ feature for private status updates

Meta-owned instant messaging platform WhatsApp is testing a new Close Friends feature for status updates, aiming to make sharing more personal and private. As mentioned in media reports, the feature lets users create a dedicated list of close friends directly from the privacy settings. Photos, videos, and text shared on WhatsApp Status can then be posted exclusively for this select group, giving users greater control over who sees their updates.

While WhatsApp currently offers three privacy options for status- My Contacts, My Contacts Except, and Only Share With- the new Close Friends update is expected to make the process more streamlined and intuitive.

These exclusive posts will be visually distinct, with WhatsApp reportedly experimenting with different colours to separate them from regular updates. Like standard statuses, they’ll disappear after 24 hours and remain end-to-end encrypted, ensuring Meta and WhatsApp can’t access the content.

Privacy remains a key focus: contacts won’t be notified when they’re added or removed from the list, and only those included at the time of posting will see the status. New additions won’t get retroactive access unless the update is reuploaded.

The feature mirrors Instagram’s popular Close Friends approach but is designed to enhance privacy within WhatsApp’s ecosystem. It also builds on the platform’s broader efforts to move beyond basic messaging, with recent additions like an AI-powered writing tool and disappearing messages that can vanish in as little as an hour. While there’s no official launch date yet, the appearance of this feature in beta suggests a wider rollout in the coming weeks.