WhatsApp, owned by Meta, is reportedly rolling out a new feature called 'status archive' for businesses to beta testers on the Android platform. According to WABetaInfo, this feature will automatically archive status updates after 24 hours on users' devices once enabled.
The 'status archive' feature allows users to conveniently manage their archive preferences and access their archived statuses directly from the menu within the Status tab. Importantly, the archived statuses remain private, visible only to the respective businesses.
This new addition holds significant value for businesses as it provides them with the opportunity to republish a status from their archive and share it with customers with the aim of enhancing their business outreach.
The archived status updates will be stored on users' devices for up to 30 days. During this period, businesses can still create advertisements for Facebook or Instagram or share status updates until they expire from the archive, the report mentioned.
While the feature is currently available for beta testers, it is expected to roll out to a wider user base in the coming weeks, allowing more businesses to leverage this functionality.
Additionally, WhatsApp is reportedly working on another feature called 'WhatsApp usernames. This feature will enable users to choose unique usernames for their accounts. By opting for a different and memorable username, users will have an added level of personalization and identification within the WhatsApp ecosystem.
Currently, WhatsApp users are identified by their mobile phone numbers, which limits the options for creating a unique identity within the app.
While the specifics of how usernames will function within WhatsApp are yet to be fully revealed, it is expected that conversations initiated through usernames will still benefit from the app's end-to-end encryption.
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