Users may have to link their WhatsApp accounts to Meta Accounts Centre for the feature to work.
The feature was previously also reported to be in development on WhatsApp for Android
Photo Credit: Unsplash/Daniel Korpai
WhatsApp is reportedly testing a new feature for its iOS app, which aims to make sharing status updates more intuitive. As per details shared by a feature tracker, the Meta-owned instant messaging platform is working on new quick sharing options for status updates. These are expected to enable the user to share status updates with others quickly, eliminating the need to navigate through a separate interface. The functionality was previously also spotted in development for WhatsApp for Android.
According to feature tracker WABetaInfo, new code spotted in the latest WhatsApp beta for iOS update reveals that the app is working on a new quick sharing functionality for status updates. It was discovered after WhatsApp beta for iOS version 25.28.10.72 was recently released by the company. While currently not available, it is said to be in development and could arrive in a future version of the app.
New quick sharing toggles for Facebook and Instagram on WhatsApp
Credit: WABetaInfo
Based on the screenshot shared by the feature tracker, WhatsApp will update the interface of the status updates page, bringing it closer to its Instagram counterpart in terms of appearance. Users will see a view count in the bottom-left corner of the screen. What's expected to be more of a significant change is the addition of two new quick sharing options for other apps under Meta's umbrella — Facebook and Instagram.
With the new options, users will be able to quickly cross-post their status updates across the aforementioned social media apps.
The feature tracker noted that users will maintain control over where their status updates are shared. They can choose to manually post on Instagram, Facebook, or both platforms, individually. This essentially means that sharing an update on Facebook will not share it on Facebook automatically, and vice versa.
However, users may have to link their WhatsApp account to the Meta Accounts Centre to use the new functionality. It essentially serves as a centralised hub that manages how Meta's apps are connected.
WABetaInfo reported that the new quick sharing options for status updates are currently under development and are only available to beta testers who are registered via Apple's TestFlight programme. It might be rolled out for testing purposes to a wider audience over the coming weeks.
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