WhatsApp tests Instagram-like 'Close Friends' feature for more private status updates

WhatsApp is preparing to roll out a new feature that will make status sharing more personal and private, taking a page from Instagram’s popular Close Friends option.

Spotted in the latest iOS beta (version 25.23.10.80 via TestFlight), the feature allows users to create a dedicated list of close friends directly from the privacy settings. Once set up, status updates can be shared exclusively with that group instead of all contacts. These posts will be visually distinct, with WhatsApp reportedly experimenting with different colours to separate them from regular updates.

Like standard status updates, close friends’ posts will disappear after 24 hours and remain end-to-end encrypted, ensuring that neither Meta nor WhatsApp can access the content. Privacy remains central to the feature. Contacts will not be notified when they are added or removed from the list, sparing users any awkward conversations. However, only those included in the list at the time of posting will see the update, meaning new additions won’t retroactively gain access unless the status is reuploaded.

The addition creates a more intimate space on WhatsApp, mirroring Instagram’s approach but within the messaging app’s ecosystem. It also builds on the platform’s recent push to expand beyond basic messaging, with updates like an AI writing tool for drafting and rephrasing messages, and tests of disappearing messages that vanish in as little as an hour.

WhatsApp has not officially announced the Close Friends feature yet, but given its appearance in beta testing, it could roll out to users in the coming weeks.