- WhatsApp beta adds ‘Close Friends’ list for status updates.
- Users can create multiple custom lists for different contacts.
- Updates shared with lists get a purple ring indicator.
WhatsApp Updates: WhatsApp is rolling out a new feature that gives users more control over who sees their status updates. The update introduces a Close Friends list, which lets users share specific status updates with a selected group of contacts. The feature, now available to some beta testers on both iOS and Android, has been in development for several months.
WhatsApp refined it over time to ensure a stable experience before the wider rollout. The goal is to make sharing feel more personal without requiring users to change visibility settings every time they post.
How Does The WhatsApp Close Friends Feature Work?
With the latest iOS and Android beta updates, users can configure dedicated lists for status updates. The first option is a Close Friends list, which works similarly to the same feature on Instagram Stories. It lets users limit who can view a status to a smaller, trusted group of contacts.
WhatsApp has integrated this into the existing status privacy settings without changing how the main sharing flow works. Users can add or remove contacts from the list at any time, and changes take effect immediately for all future updates.
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However, they do not apply retroactively, meaning status updates that were already shared remain visible to the audience that was selected at the time of posting.
It is also worth noting that WhatsApp does not send any notification when someone is added to or removed from a close friends list, keeping the process entirely private.
Can WhatsApp Users Create Multiple Custom Audience Lists?
Beyond the Close Friends option, WhatsApp is also rolling out support for multiple custom lists. Users can create separate groups for different contexts, such as a Family list for personal updates, a Colleagues list for work content, or a Students list for academic communication.
Each list can be given a name and an emoji during setup, making them easy to identify. By default, WhatsApp assigns a star emoji to the Close Friends list. When contacts receive a status update, they can also see the name and emoji tied to the list it was shared from, so users should pick these details carefully.
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Status updates shared with a close friend or custom audience list are marked with a purple ring around the status indicator. This helps users quickly spot when a post has been shared with a restricted group, whether from the chat list or the Updates tab. Only contacts included in the selected list can see the update. Anyone outside the list will not be shown the status or notified about it in any way.
The feature is currently available to a limited number of beta testers who have installed the latest WhatsApp beta for Android via the Google Play Store or the latest WhatsApp beta for iOS through TestFlight. WhatsApp is expected to expand access to more users over the coming weeks.
