WhatsApp is introducing a significant update this week, reintroducing a familiar feature called About but with a new twist. This feature, which long-time users may recall from the early days of the chat app, is being revamped to provide users with a quick and simple way to share updates about their lives.
The aim of this revival, as stated by WhatsApp, is to make it easier for people to share what’s happening in their lives. The Meta-owned company mentioned that they are reintroducing and enhancing the About feature to make it more visible, timely, and user-friendly.
The new About feature allows users to add updates about their lives using a short phrase and an emoji, enabling them to inform others why they are unavailable to chat or what they would like to discuss. This status will be prominently displayed at the top of the chat window for easy visibility by others.
Additionally, users can respond directly to someone’s About by tapping on it in a chat. The About status will automatically expire after one day, but users have the option to customize its duration by accessing Settings and selecting the desired timer.
For those concerned about privacy, WhatsApp provides control over who can view their About status. Users can adjust settings to limit visibility to only their contacts or expand it to a wider audience.
WhatsApp has announced that the updated About feature will be gradually rolled out to all mobile users throughout this week.