WhatsApp Tests Custom Lists Feature for Status to Enhance Privacy

WhatsApp Tests Custom Lists Feature for Status to Enhance Privacy and Control Over Viewers

WhatsApp is working on developing a new feature that gives users a higher level of control over the privacy of status updates, as recent reports revealed that the company is testing a system of custom lists for viewing status, in a step that expands the concept of "close friends" inside the app.

The new feature aims to improve the status sharing experience by allowing the user to designate a different audience for each post, instead of relying on the current general settings.

What Is the Custom Lists Feature in WhatsApp?

According to WABetaInfo, a website specialized in tracking WhatsApp updates, the feature appeared in a recent beta version of the app on Android. The feature allows the creation of multiple viewing lists that can be customized according to social categories, such as:

  • Family

  • Close friends

  • Work colleagues

  • Specific contacts

The user will be able to name each list, add an emoji to it, and then choose the appropriate list when posting a status.

How Do Modifications Affect Posted Statuses?

One of the important points in the new design is that any modification to lists does not affect old statuses. If a person is removed from a list after a status is posted, they will still be able to see the current status, but will not see new statuses linked to that list.

This system gives the user gradual control without confusion or sudden changes in privacy.

The Feature's Relationship to the "Close Friends" Function

The new feature is considered a natural extension of the close friends concept that previously appeared in WhatsApp development reports. But instead of a single fixed list, the custom lists provide greater flexibility, making the status sharing experience closer to what major social media platforms offer.

WhatsApp Gradually Strengthens Privacy Tools

This step comes as part of WhatsApp's ongoing strategy to strengthen privacy, which has included in recent years:

  • Control over last seen and connection status

  • Hiding profile picture from specific categories

  • Self-disappearing messages

  • Locking chats with fingerprint or password

  • Protecting backups with encryption

Adding custom lists reflects a clear orientation toward making sharing more selective and secure.

Launch Date for the Custom Lists Feature

So far, the feature is still under development and has not been officially released, even for beta users. WhatsApp typically tests its new features for a long period before a global launch to ensure stability.

The feature is expected to gradually arrive in a future update if it proves successful in internal testing. For all that's new, follow Arabic websites and specialized blogs, alongside what's offered by Egypt stores and Kuwait stores and vitamin stores and international websites, along with Mashhor for social media services — where controlling privacy becomes as essential as ease of use.