Hajra Naz
Instagram first launched Close Friends for Stories back in November 2018, giving users tighter control over who could see their content. Last September, reports revealed that WhatsApp was developing a similar Close Friends feature for its own status updates.
Now, it appears WhatsApp is going a step further.
What is WhatsApp’s new Custom Lists feature?
WhatsApp is currently working on a Custom Lists feature for status updates, designed to give users even more granular privacy control. The feature allows users to create multiple audience lists and choose exactly who sees each status post.
For example, one list could include family members, while another might be reserved for colleagues or professional contacts—a setup similar to Facebook’s custom audience controls.
Read More: WhatsApp Introduces Strict Account Settings — Here’s How They Work
How was the feature discovered?
The upcoming feature was uncovered by WABetaInfo, which spotted Custom Lists in WhatsApp beta version 2.26.5.11 for Android. Although still under development, the discovery offers a clear look at how the feature is expected to work.
How will custom lists work in practice?
According to WABetaInfo, users will be able to:
-
Create multiple custom lists.
-
Assign each list a name and an emoji
-
Select a specific list when sharing a status update
Importantly, changes made to a custom list will only apply to future status updates. If you remove someone from a list after posting a status, they’ll still be able to view that existing update—but won’t see new ones shared to that list.
Where does Close Friends fit in?
WABetaInfo also shared a screenshot showing the Close Friends option appearing alongside WhatsApp’s existing status privacy settings, suggesting both features may coexist rather than replace one another.
Read More: WhatsApp New Chat History Feature Is Changing Group Conversations
When will these features be available?
For now, neither Close Friends nor Custom Lists is live, even for users enrolled in the WhatsApp beta program. There’s no official rollout timeline yet, meaning users will need to wait a bit longer before gaining access to these expanded privacy tools.
Still, the move signals WhatsApp’s growing focus on fine-tuned audience control, especially as users increasingly want to share different updates with different parts of their network.
