WhatsApp is working on a new Custom Lists feature for Status updates, aimed at giving users tighter control over who sees their content. The feature is still under development and has not yet rolled out to the public or beta users.
The move follows WhatsApp’s earlier work on a Close Friends option for Status, a feature inspired by tools already available on other social platforms.
The Custom Lists feature enables users to create audience groups to share their Status updates. Users can create their own contact groups to share Status updates, instead of sharing with all contacts or a single restricted group.
The first list will contain only family members as its exclusive members. Another could be reserved for colleagues or professional contacts. This approach mirrors the custom audience controls that Facebook has long offered.
WABetaInfo found the feature in WhatsApp beta version 2.26.5.11 for Android. The report states that users can create custom lists, assign each one a name, and choose an emoji to represent it.
Any edit made to a list will only apply to future status updates. If a contact is removed from a list after a status is posted, that contact will still be able to view the existing update. They will not see new ones shared with that list.
WABetaInfo also shared a screenshot showing the Close Friends option appearing alongside WhatsApp’s existing Status privacy settings. These currently include options such as sharing with all contacts, excluding selected contacts, or sharing with only chosen contacts.
Notably, neither Close Friends nor Custom Lists is available to customers yet, including those enrolled in the beta programme.
WhatsApp is currently expanding its privacy features, which specifically protect users when they share status updates. The updated system enables users to select specific content elements to share with others.
For now, users will have to wait. WhatsApp has not announced a timeline for when either feature will roll out.