WhatsApp May Introduce Instagram-Style ‘Close Friends’ Status Sharing Soon

WhatsApp appears to be borrowing yet another page from Instagram’s playbook as Meta continues aligning features across its platforms. The messaging giant is reportedly testing a new “Close Friends” option for Status updates, giving users more control over who can view their shared moments.

Over the past year, WhatsApp has steadily integrated several Instagram-inspired tools, and this latest addition signals that the convergence between the two apps is far from over. According to a recent report from WaBetaInfo, the Close Friends feature has been spotted in the WhatsApp beta for Android and remains under development. Beta testers are expected to receive access soon.

The feature is designed to work similarly to Instagram’s Close Friends Stories. Users will be able to manually choose a specific group of contacts who can view certain Status updates, rather than sharing them with their entire contact list. This could be particularly useful for those who prefer keeping personal updates limited to close circles.

As part of the update, WhatsApp may introduce a new drop-down menu labeled ‘Who can see my status update’. The options are expected to include ‘My contacts’, ‘My contacts except’, ‘Only share with’, and the new ‘Close friends’ setting. Status updates shared with this select group could also appear visually different, possibly with a distinct ring color, making it easy to identify exclusive posts — much like Instagram’s green circle indicator.

This move comes shortly after WhatsApp introduced advertisements within the Updates section, marking a significant shift for a platform that long positioned itself as ad-free. Meta’s broader strategy seems to focus on tighter integration across WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook, while also exploring new revenue streams.

Beyond ads, more changes may be on the horizon. Reports suggest WhatsApp could experiment with premium offerings, including exclusive stickers, customizable themes, special ringtones for chats, and additional personalization tools. While these upgrades might appeal to some users, others may view them as unnecessary extras on what has traditionally been a simple messaging app.

Instagram users may also see fresh features rolled out, such as tools to identify followers who don’t follow back or options to watch Stories anonymously. Together, these updates reflect Meta’s larger push to make its ecosystem more feature-rich — and increasingly interconnected.

For now, the Close Friends Status feature remains in testing. However, if released widely, it could add a much-needed layer of privacy and personalization to WhatsApp’s popular Status tool, making it feel both more intimate and more versatile.

As WhatsApp evolves under Meta’s leadership, users can likely expect even more cross-platform ideas shaping the future of their everyday messaging experience.