
WhatsApp is reportedly working on a new feature that allows users to choose whether their status updates can be reshared by their contacts.
Until now, only status updates in which a user was directly mentioned could be reshared by others, as WhatsApp limited resharing to private mentions to maintain user privacy.
WhatsApp enhances Status-sharing
According to WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is expanding the resharing functionality, offering users more control over how their content is shared.
Particularly, users can now decide whether any of their status updates can be reshared, regardless of whether they contain a mention.
This results in Status updates without any mentions that can still be forwarded or reshared, as long as the original poster has enabled the resharing option.
If the feature is available, a tooltip will appear during the creation of a status update, informing users of the new resharing option, and making it simple for them to discover and activate the feature.
Moreover, users can manage this resharing preference at any time through the privacy settings of their status updates, letting them enable or disable the option according to their needs.
To note, when a status update is reshared, the original author receives a notification to let them know that one of their contacts has forwarded the content.
However, people who see the reshared status will not see who originally posted it.
This is part of WhatsApp's approach to maintaining user privacy, especially for sensitive information like phone numbers and profile photos.
With the new feature, WhatsApp aims to ensure that each step in the resharing chain is private and disconnected from previous steps, as the platform currently avoids linking the reshared content back to its original source to protect user privacy.
Notably, WhatsApp has yet to make any official statement about the feature’s availability to everyone.