WhatsApp is introducing a new feature called “Status Archive” as a new business tool, allowing businesses to share their previous status updates with their customers. The feature is currently being rolled out to beta testers of WhatsApp Business for Android and will become available to more users in the coming weeks.
| Common questions | Answers |
|---|---|
| Name of the feature? | Status archive |
| Status? | Rolling out |
| Compatibility? | WhatsApp Business beta for Android 2.23.11.18 and newer versions of the app are marked as 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 will be released to more users over the coming weeks. |
| Thanks: | V S Verma Suraj #India, for testing and reporting! |
| Previous news? | WhatsApp news of the week: username and screen-sharing feature! |
STATUS ARCHIVE
Despite we announced that their main project includes plans to redesign the application, WhatsApp is also continuing to work on improving other existing features of the app. After introducing enhancements to the Calls tab after installing the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.10.4 update, WhatsApp is now focusing on improving the Status tab. In particular, some businesses may now be able to use a new feature called “Status Archive”, which is available after installing one of the latest updates of WhatsApp beta for Android from the Google Play Store:
As you can see in this screenshot, you will be notified by a banner available within the Status tab if this feature is enabled for your WhatsApp account. When this feature is enabled, your status updates will be archived on your device after 24 hours. In addition, you can also manage your archive preferences and see your archive directly from the menu within the Status tab. Note that the archive is always private so only the business can see their archived status updates.
We believe this feature will be very useful for businesses as they can republish a status from their archive and share the same status with their customers again, with the aim of improving their business. These status updates will be kept on the device for up to 30 days: they will still have the ability to continue creating advertisements for Facebook and Instagram or sharing the status updates until they expire in the archive. It is worth noting that this appears to be an exclusive tool for businesses, and we currently have no information or reports on the availability of this feature for people that use WhatsApp Messenger.
The status archive feature is rolling out to some beta testers that install the latest version of WhatsApp Business beta 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 Twitter where 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 Twitter: we love hearing your feedback! If you’re curious to know 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.