WhatsApp is now rolling out a new feature for iOS beta testers that adds disappearing settings to their profile status, similar to a feature that was previously made available for Android. This update, found in version 25.23.10.78 of the iOS beta, lets you set an expiration timer for your About section. The preset options include durations from 30 minutes to one day with a custom timer that can last up to 1 month.
If you set a status timer, the status will automatically disappear as soon as the timer runs out. This is good if you don’t like manually removing statuses. This might be useful for short-term updates like being in a meeting or traveling.
Your contacts will see these temporary statuses directly in conversations, appearing at the top of the chat interface and in the chat info screen. It will alternate with the last seen information in the conversation header. Users can also add an emoji to their status to be a bit more expressive.
Even if you set a timer for your status, you’re still able to update, edit, or delete it at any time before the timer expires and the feature fully respects your privacy settings, so the status is only visible to contacts allowed by the user. The expiration time of the message is also clearly available in the settings for easy review. Once a status expires, it’ll be saved to your private history.
The feature aims to make profiles more timely and relevant by preventing outdated information from remaining visible indefinitely. It’s currently available to some beta testers and will be rolling out more widely in the coming weeks. After Meta is happy, it can then proceed to release it to all users. iOS users can get involved with the WhatsApp beta through the TestFlight program.
Source and image via WABetaInfo