WhatsApp has begun testing a fresh feature that makes statuses slightly clearer. In the recent beta edition of the messenger for Android (2.26.2.9), available via the Google Play Beta program, a segment of users gained the ability to see what privacy settings were used when a particular status was posted. The concept is straightforward, yet long-awaited. Many users frequently adjust the audience for statuses: one time it’s “My contacts,” another time it’s “Except…” or “Only for…”. Time passes, and it’s not always certain who exactly viewed that specific status. Because of this, people often overcompensate—deleting the post and uploading it again. Now, it seems, this is no longer necessary. How does the new function operate, according to WABetaInfo? If it is enabled for your account, just open the status published within the last 24 hours, navigate to the view list, and open the three-dot menu. A new item appears there—Audience. In it, WhatsApp shows with which confidentiality settings this status was published. The user immediately sees to whom the content was accessible: all contacts, everyone except certain individuals, or only a chosen group. If the status was posted with restrictions, one can observe precisely who is excluded from the list or, conversely, who is included. This is especially handy for those who often experiment with visibility arrangements. Furthermore, in this same section, another significant detail is displayed—whether reposting the status is permitted. Even if you no longer recall after publication whether you enabled the forwarding option, it is now easy to check. In conclusion, the new feature resolves a quite common, but annoying issue: when you are unsure if the status “went to the right place.” Now you can simply verify the settings and then decide—keep the publication or remove it. For now, the feature is only accessible to a segment of beta testers who have installed the WhatsApp beta version for Android 2.26.2.9. The company continues its trials and monitors operational stability. If everything proceeds smoothly, the ability to view status privacy settings will become available to a wider viewership in upcoming updates. Recall that recently, a new method for restoring the quick native WhatsApp in Windows 11 was discovered online. Also interesting is a new study by scientists from Bielefeld University, based on WhatsApp metadata—it demonstrated that we poorly comprehend how we behave in chats.
About the Author
