A few days ago, WhatsApp released a new reply bar for status updates, designed to improve engagements between users. The feature is currently available to some beta testers who install the latest updates of WhatsApp beta for iOS from the TestFlight app and WhatsApp beta for Android from the Google Play Store.
| Common questions | Answers |
|---|---|
| Name of the feature? | Reply bar - status updates |
| Status? | Rolling out |
| Compatibility? | WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.26.3 is marked as a compatible update. WhatsApp beta for iOS 23.15.10.72 is marked as a compatible update. |
| I have updated my version of WhatsApp but I don't have this feature. Why? | This feature is available to some users and it's rolling out to more people over the coming days. |
| Thanks: | shw_9876, ismailhnd, and kingcyrious, for testing and reporting! |
| Previous news? | WhatsApp news of the week: high-quality photos and videos for status updates! |
REPLY BAR
After announcing a feature to send high-quality photos and videos to status, and the ability to filter and video status updates in a vertical list, WhatsApp is working on additional enhancements to further improve the user experience. Specifically, WhatsApp has plans to prompt users to respond more actively to the status updates they come across. After installing the latest updates of WhatsApp beta for Android and iOS, WhatsApp is rolling out a new reply bar for status updates!
As you can see in this screenshot, some beta testers may explore a new reply bar when viewing status updates. This enhancement makes it easier for users to interact with status updates, since the reply bar is now consistently visible. It's important to note that, even if the screenshot is taken from WhatsApp beta for iOS, the same reply bar is also available to some beta testers who installed the latest versions of WhatsApp beta for Android in the past few days.
In our opinion, with the introduction of the new reply bar, the user experience is improved by making the reply option more accessible and visible. The reply bar is now constantly displayed, as happens on the Instagram app, eliminating the need for users to swipe up to access it. This change aims to enhance the process of engaging with status updates, and it also provides users with a better user-friendly interface.
A reply bar for status updates is available to some users who install the latest updates of WhatsApp beta for Android from the Google Play Store and WhatsApp beta for iOS from the TestFlight app, and it's rolling out to more people over the coming days.
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