Is WhatsApp still just a messaging app? Or is it morphing into something else? As it picks up more features from its Meta cousins Facebook and Instagram, the lines are becoming increasingly blurred. And that’s definitely the case with WhatsApp’s two latest additions to the app… WhatsApp Status Likes and Mentions.
WhatsApp Status Gets Likes and Mentions
As announced in a post on the WhatsApp Blog, WhatsApp is adding Likes and Mentions to WhatsApp Status. For the uninitiated, WhatsApp Status is WhatsApp’s story function, allowing you to post an update that will disappear after 24 hours. It’s your current status, essentially.
Status Likes take the form of a green heart, and allow you to like a Status with a single tap of a button. Likes are private, and there’s no counter racking them up. The person whose Status you have liked will just see the heart next to the list of people viewing the Status.
Status Mentions mean that you can now mention people by name in your Status Updates. Anyone who you Mention will be notified privately, and it won’t be shown on your Status. However, it does allow them to reshare your Status more easily, potentially increasing your audience.
WhatsApp Status Likes and Mentions are rolling out now, and will be available to everyone using WhatsApp globally soon. As usual, be sure to keep your apps updated to ensure you get new features as soon as they’re released.
Will This Make WhatsApp More Annoying?
My first reaction to WhatsApp Status Likes and Mentions was, and still is, that they’re going to make WhatsApp more annoying. Likes aren’t too bad, because I can choose whether to Like a Status or not. But I really don’t want to be tagged in a Status by way of a Mention.
Whether you’ll personally find these annoying or not, they’re a definite sign that WhatsApp is becoming more of a social media platform than a mere messaging app. This was inevitable due to Meta’s desire to bring some level of parity between its products, but it isn’t necessarily a good thing.
I love WhatsApp and think it’s one of the best mobile messaging apps. It enables me to message everyone I know as and when I want to without any fuss or drama. I don’t need Status in the first place, let alone Status Likes or Mentions. But then I’m middle-aged, and probably not the audience Meta is targeting here.
