WhatsApp has cloned Snapchat’s popular stories format and is using it to replace its old text-based status messages. The feature begins rolling out to WhatsApp’s billion-plus users today on Android, iPhone, and Windows Phone.


As on Snapchat, WhatsApp stories are posted from an in-app camera. Once you’ve taken a photo, you can adorn it with drawings, text, and emoji. Once you post your story, it appears in a new “status” tab, where your contacts can view it for the next 24 hours. You can reply to friends’ updates directly from the post.


WhatsApp becomes the fourth Facebook product to clone Snapchat stories. Instagram was the first, in August . It was followed by Facebook Messenger and then Facebook itself , both of which are still testing the feature in a small number of countries. WhatsApp is Facebook’s second product to roll the feature out globally.

There are some elements that make WhatsApp’s version of Stories unique — you can share GIFs to your Status, for example, and all Status updates are end-to-end encrypted, which means that once they disappear they really disappear. Videos can be 45 seconds long, not just 10 seconds like on other platforms, and Status updates are only shared with users in your address book, not followers you may not actually know.


But the concept remains the same, as does the reasoning for adding the new feature.

http://www.theverge.com/2017/2/20/14653558/whatsapp-stories-status-tab-snapchat-clone

http://www.recode.net/2017/2/20/14663674/whatsapp-rolling-out-version-snapchat-instagram-stories

[size=8pt][/size]

Nice...but with the way things are going many Nigerians, myself inclusive, may not be able to afford smartphones to enjoy these new features

Here's how to use WhatsApp Status for Android users:

How do I use WhatsApp Status?

WhatsApp Status allows you to share photos, videos and animated GIFs that disappear after 24 hours. Your status updates are only visible to the contacts you have saved in your phone's address book.

To view someone's status update, tap the Status tab and select a contact's status. To reply to one of your contact's status updates, tap Reply at the bottom of the screen while viewing their status.

Adding your own status update

To add a status update:

Go to the Status screen.
Tap the status icon.
You can take a new photo or record a new video, or choose an existing one from the picker, then tap the send button.
You can also add a caption and personalize your status updates by adding emojis, text and freehanded drawings to your photos and videos. Learn how in our FAQ.

Changing your status privacy

Your status updates cannot be seen by people whose numbers are not saved in your phone's address book. You can choose to share your status updates with all of your contacts, or with selected contacts only. By default, your status updates are set to be shared with all your contacts.

Go to the Status screen.
Tap the Menu Button > Status privacy.
Choose who can see your status updates.
Note: Changes to your privacy settings won't affect status updates that you've already sent.

If you have disabled Read Receipts, you will not be able to see who's viewed your status update. For more info on Read Receipts, please read this article.

Manually deleting a status update

Status updates automatically disappear after 24 hours. You can also manually delete a status update, which removes it from your contact's phones.

To manually delete a status update:

Go to the Status screen.
Tap the three dots next to My status > tap and hold your status update.
Tap the trash can icon > Delete.
Muting a status update

You can mute the status updates of a particular contact so they won't appear at the top of the status list anymore. To mute someone's status:

Go to the Status screen.
Tap and hold your contact's status update.
Tap Mute.
To unmute a status update:

Go to the Status screen.
Scroll down to see the Muted statuses and tap and hold your contact's status update.
Tap Unmute.
https://www.whatsapp.com/faq/en/android/26000031