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Text Status WhatsApp Update is coming back, first iPhone this week and Android next week

by Milicent Atieno
Text Status WhatsApp Update

Good news folks, it seems WhatsApp has realized it erred in its ‘Snapchatification’ move to do away with Text Status update in favor of photo-video-GIF based Stories.

The messaging app is swiftly correcting its mistake by bringing back the Text Status update, but will also maintain the Stories; an idea it stole from Snapchat. Visual communication is after all King in the social media engagement, given more people don’t like reading as much as they like watching video, picture, and GIFs.

It is for that reason that Snapchat is believed to have the ultimate package in visual communication. And Facebook is hell bent of stealing some ideas from Snapchat and importing them to its products; Instagram Stories, Messenger Overlays, and lately WhatsApp Stories.

WhatsApp’s Text Status update

WhatsApp has confirmed that the Text Status update is coming back, with iPhone users s et to get it sometime this week and Android in the following week. iPhone users can go to the About section of the app on their profile and set a Text Status update.

They can also view their contacts’ Text Status update when starting a new chat thread or by looking at the group chat info. In a statement, WhatsApp had the following to say about the recently introduced and eliminated features on the app:

We heard from our users that people missed the ability to set a persistent text-only update in their profile, so we’ve integrated this feature into the ‘About’ section in profile settings. Now, the update will appear next to profile names anytime you view contacts, such as when creating a new chat or looking at Group info. At the same time, we’re continuing to build on the new Status feature that gives people fun and engaging ways to share photos, videos and GIFs with their friends and family throughout their day.”

Reactions to the Snapchat-stolen features on WhatsApp

Users are not particularly thrilled about the new feature but at the same time it far from being said they are annoyed. That is because unlike on Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp has placed the new Stories feature on a separate tab as opposed to putting it on to of list of active threads. But not doubt the feature seemed uncharacteristic of the app and will take some getting used to for most users to come to appreciate it.

From a commercial point of view, the WhatsApp Stories and Messenger Day provide a platform for the apps to monetize using ads thrown in between friends’ slideshows. They are also going to give Snapchat a run for its money and possibly halt its growth dead on its track, by giving users all the features they could be missing by not using Snapchat.

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