Users can create and manage a private close friends list from the privacy settings.
Status updates shared with close friends will have a distinct colour and vanish after 24 hours.
The feature is still in testing and may roll out in upcoming WhatsApp updates.
WhatsApp is reportedly working on a new feature that will allow users to share posts with a more personalised audience, similar to Instagram’s close friends. The new feature was discovered in the latest WhatsApp beta for iOS 25.23.10.80 via TestFlight, indicating that the platform is working on a close friends feature.
SurveyAccording to the details confirmed by the WaBetaInfo report, users will soon be able to create a dedicated close friends list right from the privacy settings screen. Soon after creating the list, they can choose when to post a status update, either with the default audience or only with close friends. To differentiate these posts, the Meta-owned instant messaging platform intends to use a different colour for statuses shared with close friends, making them easily identifiable.
Furthermore, managing close friends will remain confidential. It should be noted that contacts will be notified when they are added or removed, ensuring privacy and giving users complete control over the list. However, any changes to the list will only affect future updates.
Close friends’ updates, like all WhatsApp statuses, will disappear after 24 hours and be encrypted end-to-end. This means that neither WhatsApp nor Meta can access the content, reinforcing the platform’s privacy guarantees.
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This follows the previous update, which added the new “My Status” option to the iOS share sheet, allowing users to post photos and videos directly as status updates from other apps. The upcoming close friends feature expands on this by providing more control and an intimate sharing experience.
It is worth noting that WhatsApp has yet to acknowledge the details. The feature may become available in the coming weeks as part of an upcoming update.
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Ashish Singh
Ashish Singh is the Chief Copy Editor at Digit. He's been wrangling tech jargon since 2020 (Times Internet, Jagran English '22). When not policing commas, he's likely fueling his gadget habit with coffee, strategising his next virtual race, or plotting a road trip to test the latest in-car tech. He speaks fluent Geek. View Full Profile
