WhatsApp adds Snapchat Stories’ format for status messages on iOS beta

Looks like Facebook isn’t yet done with Snapchat. After clone copying Snapchat’s ephemeral photo/video story option for Instagram, the social networking giant is now gearing up to roll out this feature for its messaging platform WhatsApp.

According to a tweet by WABetaInfo, the introduction text for ‘Status’on the iOS beta app has been updated, and now talks about how the user can share videos and photos in the Status with their contacts, which will disappear after 24 hours.

Status introduction text updated in WhatsApp beta for iOS 2.17.4+. pic.twitter.com/NdtoN0rfPv

— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) February 12, 2017

The WhatsApp Status can be made private too, according to WABetaInfo, and there’s an option for tweaking the privacy settings as well.

WhatsApp is still testing this Stories feature, which has also been spotted on Android beta versions earlier. WhatsApp’s ‘Status’ message has never been a characteristic feature of the platform but with this update, users will be able to do a lot more on the app, and it will end up being a point for daily updates, highlights. WhatApp will also let people see how many people have viewed their ‘Status’ update story.

The Facebook-owned messaging app recently launched two-step verification for users on Android, iOS and Windows. It is also reportedly working on a new feature that will let users in a group chat to broadcast their location to live each other.