Instagram launched the Close Friends feature for Instagram Stories in November 2018. Last September, we reported that WhatsApp was developing a similar feature. Recently, we learned that WhatsApp is also testing a Custom Lists feature for status updates, providing users with enhanced privacy controls.
This update comes from WABetaInfo, which identified the Custom Lists feature in beta version 2.26.5.11 for WhatsApp on Android. As the name suggests, Custom Lists enable users to create specific lists for different audiences who can view their status updates. For instance, users can compile a list exclusively for family members and another for professional contacts, similar to Facebook's custom privacy feature.
According to WABetaInfo, users can assign a name and an emoji to their custom lists. Changes to a list will only apply to new status updates. Thus, if a user removes a contact from their list after posting an update, that contact will still have access to the previous updates but won’t be able to view the new ones.
WABetaInfo also provided a screenshot (see below), which displays the Close Friends option alongside three existing status privacy options available to WhatsApp users.
Currently, neither the Close Friends feature nor the Custom Lists option is accessible to WhatsApp users, including those in the beta program. We will have to wait for their official rollout.
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