WhatsApp is bringing back its text statuses, after announcing it was removing the feature to make way for a new WhatsApp Status.
Announced in mid-February, and working in a similar way to Snapchat & Instagram’s Stories features, the WhatsApp Status tool let users take photos and videos within the app, edit them together and post for contacts to view.
The new section appeared on the menu of the app alongside Chats, Calls and Camera, and enabled users to create their own status (which would appear for 24 hours) and view their contacts’ statuses.
With the introduction of Status, WhatsApp announced it would be removing its original text statuses – a feature that had been part of the app since its launch in 2010.
However, it now seems that the app is re-introducing these text updates.
WhatsApp said: “We heard from our users that people missed the ability to set a persistent text-only update in their profile, so we’ve integrated this feature into the ‘About’ section in profile settings.
“Now, the update will appear next to profile names anytime you view contacts, such as when creating a new chat or looking at Group info.
“At the same time, we’re continuing to build on the new Status feature that gives people fun and engaging ways to share photos, videos and GIFs with their friends and family throughout their day.”
Text statuses are available in the Android beta version of the app, and the platform is expected to re-introduce the feature for Android devices in the coming weeks and iOS soon after.
To find out more about WhatsApp’s Status feature please click here.