WhatsApp will test voice notes as status updates

This page was translated using AI and machine learning before being reviewed by a human editor in your native language.

(Pocket-lint) – WhatsApp appears to be developing a feature that would allow users to upload a voice note to their status.

Currently, Status Updates only allow those on WhatsApp to add an image or video – similar to Instagram and Facebook Stories.

However, this potential new feature would represent a first for Meta’s line of social media apps, allowing users to upload voice clips usually reserved for chats.

It remains to be seen whether saved clips or existing notes from chats can be added to statuses, but we expect the principle of these updates to remain the same – meaning that all of a user’s contacts would be able to see them.

As seen in the screenshot below, courtesy of WaBetaInfo, a user would be able to add a “voice status” by selecting the icon in the lower right corner.

As we see with many WhatsApp tests, this feature currently appears to be in pre-beta stage, which means it’s probably still a long way from being available to all users on iOS or Android.

This assumes, of course, that it comes bundled with a full version of the app, as WhatsApp might decide not to include it after this initial testing period.

If so, the feature will join the many others we’ve seen from the company recently – including the ability to mute someone on a group call, increasing the number maximum users in a group chat to 512 and improved privacy controls.

Written by Conor Allison.