WhatsApp May Let Users Enable Status Notifications for Specific Contacts

WhatsApp may soon upgrade its status feature with a useful new function. It is testing the ability to trigger notifications when your favorite contact shares a new status. The latest beta version (v2.25.22.10) for Android has this feature. The company may roll it out in the stable channel in the coming months.

WhatsApp status notifications feature spotted in new test version

Meta, the company behind WhatsApp, lets users participate in a testing program for beta versions of its popular messaging app. Users can test upcoming features and report bugs before a public rollout. Folks over at WABetaInfo discovered some interesting new developments within the latest beta build. One of the notable features is the ability to turn on status update notifications for select contacts.

As you know, WhatsApp statuses disappear after 24 hours, meaning if you don’t view them within that time, you will miss them. Now with the introduction of the notification feature, you won’t miss updates from your close friends, family members, or other important contacts. The good thing is that it will offer a more personalized experience — instead of receiving notifications for every status update from all contacts, it will let you choose your favorite one.

So, how can you configure that setup? Well, it’s pretty straightforward, as you can do it directly from the status update screen. Tap on the three-dot menu and then choose the “Get notifications” option. Once enabled, WhatsApp will send a real-time notification whenever your selected contact adds a new status update. The notification will display the contact’s name and profile photo, helping you to recognize it without opening the app.

Now, you might think that contacts will know when you turn on notifications for their statuses. Don’t worry, WhatsApp won’t notify them. If you want to stop receiving alerts, you can easily do that by visiting the contact’s status update screen and selecting the “Mute notifications” option.

As of now, there’s no word on when WhatsApp will roll out the new notification feature. It is currently in development, so it may take a few months. We will let you know once it becomes available — stay tuned.