WhatsApp tests Close Friends for Status in iOS beta

WhatsApp is developing a Close Friends option for its Status feature that will let users share disappearing updates with a curated list of contacts, according to reports based on a recent iOS beta build. The addition, spotted in materials tied to iOS beta 25.23.10.80, would create a separate Close Friends list managed from the app's privacy settings and allow users to choose whether a given status is visible to all contacts or only to that selected group.

The planned feature mirrors Instagram's long-standing Close Friends tool by giving users a dedicated audience for ephemeral photos, videos and text that vanish after 24 hours. Status updates shared with the Close Friends group will be visually distinguished by a differently colored ring around the update to signal exclusivity to recipients, according to the beta details reported by observers. The list itself will be private, and people will not be notified if they are added or removed.

Reports indicate the Close Friends statuses will retain the same privacy protections as other WhatsApp content. Updates will be end-to-end encrypted, meaning only intended recipients can view them, and will disappear after the standard 24-hour...