Ammon News - WhatsApp is working on a new feature that allows users to share updates with people they have recently messaged or called, even if those people are not saved in their contacts. The feature is currently being tested in select regions across Android, iOS, and Web versions of the app.

Until now, status updates on WhatsApp were only visible to contacts saved in a user’s address book, those explicitly included in privacy settings, or users mentioned in a group. The new system expands that circle to include anyone a user has recently interacted with, broadening the potential reach of status updates without requiring a contact to be saved.

How the Feature Works
The feature operates on the basis of recent interactions. If you have recently messaged or called someone, they can now include you in their status audience, and vice versa, regardless of whether either party has saved the other’s number. Importantly, WhatsApp has clarified that it does not maintain a centralized server log of these recent interactions. All interaction data is processed directly on the user’s device, keeping the system local rather than cloud-dependent.

Users receiving status updates from unsaved numbers will be able to identify them clearly. The sender’s push name appears at the top of the screen along with their phone number, and a tilde (~) symbol is displayed before their name, a visual indicator that the update is coming from someone not in the recipient’s contact list. By contrast, phone numbers are never displayed when a status is shared by a saved contact, making the distinction easy to spot.

Privacy and Control
WhatsApp has built in several controls to manage the expanded reach. If a user receives a status update from an unsaved number they are not interested in, they can hide it, stopping future updates from that account without resorting to a full block. Hidden updates can still be reviewed through the contact’s info page or the dedicated hidden Updates section, and visibility can be restored at any time. Users also have the option to report status updates from the overflow menu if the content is found to be inappropriate.

On the question of spam, WhatsApp maintains that the feature is unlikely to increase unwanted content, since status visibility is tied to genuine recent interactions rather than being open to strangers with no prior connection.


PhoneWorld