WhatsApp Beta Adds Quick Privacy Controls for Status Updates

WhatsApp is rolling out a new feature in its Android beta version 2.25.25.11 that makes it easier for users to manage who can view their status updates. The change is currently rolling out to select beta testers, with wider availability expected in the coming weeks.

How the New Status Privacy Works

Instead of navigating to a separate menu, users can now select their audience while creating a status update. WhatsApp has added new “audience chips”, similar to the filters used in the Chats tab at the bottom of the drawing editor. These chips allow users to quickly toggle between privacy options such as “My Contacts” and “Only Share With”.

• Only Share With: Updates are visible only to a custom contact list defined in privacy settings.

• My Contacts: Updates reach all saved contacts, unless specific users have been excluded.

To make the feature more intuitive, WhatsApp also shows a brief notification (“toast”) each time a privacy setting is applied. This notification indicates either the number of excluded contacts or the total recipients of the status.

A Step Toward Close Friends

The redesign also hints at WhatsApp’s upcoming “close friends” feature, which was first spotted in earlier betas. By placing privacy controls inside the editor, the platform could soon add another chip dedicated to close friends, allowing users to share updates with a more curated circle.

According to WABetaInfo, this layered approach to audience selection is part of WhatsApp’s larger push to give users more control over visibility and reduce accidental oversharing.

For years, WhatsApp allowed users to set custom privacy rules for status updates, but changes required leaving the editor and opening a separate menu. The new design brings these decisions into the moment of posting, saving time and making the process more transparent.

A beta tester described the feature as “a smoother, smarter way to share selectively without digging into menus.”

Availability

The feature is live for some beta users on version 2.25.25.11 and may appear for others in future rollouts. Compatibility with slightly earlier versions has also been reported, depending on device configurations.

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