With the latest versions of WhatsApp beta for Android, WhatsApp is rolling out a new ranking feature for status updates. This feature introduces a dynamic system that automatically reorders status updates based on various factors, aiming to prioritize updates from the most important contacts.
| Common questions | Answers |
|---|---|
| Name of the feature? | Status ranking |
| Status? | Rolling out |
| Compatibility? | Latest versions of WhatsApp beta for Android are compatible updates. |
| I've installed this update but I don't have this feature. Why? | This feature is available to some beta testers, and it's rolling out more people over the coming weeks. |
| Thanks: | UnluckyTester, for testing and reporting. |
| Previous news? | WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.12.25: what's new? WhatsApp is working on a feature to ask some users to enter their birth year! |
STATUS UPDATES
In the article about the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.10.10 update, we announced that WhatsApp was rolling out a fresh interface for the status updates tray. This feature is designed to introduce a more modern layout for status updates, allowing users to preview them through a large thumbnail. It appears that WhatsApp is focused on improving the user experience with status updates, prioritizing specific contacts to appear at the top of the updates tray. Thanks to the latest updates of WhatsApp beta for Android, which are available on the Google Play Store, we discovered that WhatsApp is rolling out a new ranking feature for status updates!
With the recent versions of WhatsApp beta for Android, WhatsApp is updating the order of status updates within the list. Specifically, WhatsApp is prioritizing important contacts over others, ensuring that updates from these users are always displayed at the top of the list. However, status updates shared by WhatsApp are always placed at the top of the list, regardless of other factors. This guarantees that users are always provided with important information and updates directly from WhatsApp. To prioritize contacts, WhatsApp developed a ranking system that generates statistics to identify them by considering several factors:
- Frequent Contact: the app prioritizes contacts users chat with often by querying the local database, indicating a higher level of interaction and importance.
- Pinned Contact: pinned chats indicate the preference to prioritize certain conversations. These will also be prioritized within the Updates tab.
- Recent Messaging: recently messaged contacts are prioritized to reflect the immediacy and relevance of user interactions.
- Expiring Status Update: when a status update is about to expire, it is prioritized to ensure users see timely updates before they disappear.
Due to the implementation of the new ranking system, users may notice that the timestamp of status updates is no longer displayed within the list. This change is a result of prioritizing updates from important contacts, which takes precedence over displaying timestamps. The prioritization of status updates within WhatsApp relies on information stored exclusively on the user's device, safeguarding privacy by not sharing any of this data with WhatsApp servers. By keeping this information locally, WhatsApp maintains user privacy and data security, as the ranking system operates autonomously within each individual user's device without external data transmission.
It's important to highlight that these statistics are reset every time the user reinstalls WhatsApp. Since these are not shared with WhatsApp, the data reflecting contact prioritization is lost during the reinstallation process. It's also worth noting that the order of status updates may appear slightly different on linked devices. This is because the chat history synced across linked devices may not contain the full dataset needed to prioritize contacts in the exact same way. Therefore, while the general prioritization principles remain consistent, the specific order of contacts may vary slightly between devices. This is why the ranking system might not be accurate after a reinstallation and when linking a new device.
A ranking feature for status updates is available to some users who install the latest updates of WhatsApp for Android from the Google Play Store, and it is rolling out to even more people over the coming weeks.
Stay up-to-date on WhatsApp news by following WABetaInfo on X. You can also discover other new features for WhatsApp beta for Android, iOS, Web/Desktop, and Windows.
Do you like this news? Please, let us know on X: we love hearing your feedback! If you're curious to see where you can find WABetaInfo, there is a dedicated page where you can discover our services.
In addition, we have set up a Discord Server where you can chat with other people, get help and advice, and stay up to date with the latest announcements from WABetaInfo.