WhatsApp is testing a new status feature

If you’re using the Android beta, a new Status feature that WhatsApp is testing may become available to you first.

There is now the opportunity to share a kind of “voice note” in the status of WhatsApp. You can share a brief voice message in the status instead of recording a video to communicate with your contacts.

WhatsApp to bring new features to its status

This message can be as lengthy as 30 seconds, according to WABetaInfo, which can already test this new feature. What date will the new feature launch? With WhatsApp, this is never really obvious and now also depends on how the beta test goes. And if you can already use this function in the beta, it looks like this:

Some fortunate beta testers can now send audio notes as status updates by accessing the feature within the text status area, as you can see in this screenshot, should it be enabled for them. By allowing users to delete a recording before sharing it, WhatsApp also gives users more control over their voice recordings. As was already know, voice notes can only be recorded for a maximum of 30 seconds. And to hear voice notes posted via status, users must update their WhatsApp version.

As always, end-to-end encryption ensures that only the people you select within your privacy settings may listen to voice notes published as status updates. Voice notes shared via status updates vanish after 24 hours, just like photos and videos, although users always have the option to delete voice notes for everyone once they have been available as status updates.

After downloading the most recent beta from the Google Play Store, a small group of lucky beta testers were able to send audio notes via status updates. Over the next several weeks, the feature will be available to even more people.