WhatsApp is reportedly testing changes to its algorithmic feed for the Status/Stories feature, which will show Status from people the user interacts with more often on top. According to a
Mashable report, the new feed is being tested with a small group of iPhone users in India, Brazil, and Spain.
Mashable report, the new feed is being tested with a small group of iPhone users in India, Brazil, and Spain.
To give a perspective, WhatsApp currently shows Status or Stories of contacts, based on who has updated most recently. With the new feature, WhatsApp users will see Status of those contacts on top with whom they message more often. In short, the algorithm would rely on your personal interactions, rather than being chronological.
WhatsApp is expected to test the feature with Android users as well before rolling out to the public. An exact rollout date is unconfirmed at this point.
“The new algorithmic sorting will order WhatsApp’s Status updates — that’s the messaging app’s version of Stories — based on whose update is likely to be most relevant,” the report reads.
WhatsApp chats will continue to be encrypted as the data used to implement this feature will be from the user’s phone and not WhatsApp’ servers. We will have to wait and watch whether algorithmic sorting will be perceived as a welcome change by its users.
WhatsApp Status lets users upload photos, text, and videos for their contacts to see that disappear after 24 hours. The feature, which has over 450 million users globally, could soon start showing advertisements this year, as per a Wall Street Journal report.
WhatsApp recently updated its Settings menu for Android users in an effort to improve user experience on the platform. The sub-section options under the menu now show details about what that specific function does.
