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WhatsApp Tests Custom Status Lists and Close Friends Controls in Android Beta

No release timing has been announced.

Overview

  • WABetaInfo identified the under-development controls in WhatsApp for Android version 2.26.5.11 and shared a screenshot of the interface.
  • Custom Lists let users build named, emoji-tagged audiences for status updates, echoing Facebook-style custom privacy groups.
  • List edits take effect only on subsequent posts, so contacts removed after a status is shared can still view that existing update.
  • A Close Friends option appears alongside current status privacy choices, with selected viewers seeing a different colored ring around the poster’s profile photo.
  • The features are not available to regular users or most beta testers and remain in development without a stated rollout plan.