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Journalism of Courage
WhatsApp is rolling out a refreshed version of About, one of the features the instant messaging service had in its earliest days. Before the platform became encrypted, the previous About served as a simple way for people to share a brief snapshot of what they were up to. Now, WhatsApp is bringing the feature back into the spotlight with a redesigned look and new functions aimed at making status updates more relevant, visible, and interactive.
The updated About is designed for moments when your availability changes throughout the day. Whether you’re briefly tied up, stepping out, or open to chatting, the feature lets you express it through a short phrase paired with an emoji. WhatsApp has positioned this new version as a lightweight way for users to broadcast what they’re doing or how they prefer to communicate without sending a message or updating a full Status.
The feature now includes a timer as well. While About automatically disappears after 24 hours, users can customise how long it stays visible. The timer can be adjusted within the Settings menu under the ‘Set About’ option. Privacy controls remain central, allowing users to restrict visibility to their contacts or open it up based on personal preference.
This rollout comes alongside several new updates WhatsApp has introduced recently. It added an application to Apple Watch, which marks the first time iPhone users can utilise an official WhatsApp app on their Apple Watch, allowing them to receive call notifications, read messages, and send voice recordings directly from their wrist.
The app offers features such as message reactions, chat history visibility, and enhanced image clarity, all while ensuring end-to-end encryption. Users will need an Apple Watch Series 4 or a later model with watchOS 10 to access these features. Previously, users relied on unofficial methods to interact with WhatsApp on their watches.
