On the surface, a WABetaInfo report concerning a possible UI redesign coming to WhatsApp Messenger may look harmless, but it may be an opportunity for Meta to be a little nefarious. More so than usual, we mean. It became clear a while back that the Facebook company intended to bring advertisements to WhatsApp, notably squished between your friends and family’s Status updates, just like Instagram. Three guesses where the Status tab is headed?
What’s the App with all those ads?
As spotted in the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.26.6.9 update, WABetaInfo learned that Meta was looking to make status updates in the app a little more prominent. By bringing them to the ‘Chats’ home page, obviously. As it stands, status updates are relegated to ‘Updates’ on Android and iOS.
Bringing them to the fore of the app would incentivise more users to click on others’ statuses, thereby adding a few more eyeballs to any in-app advertisements. As seen above, statuses would automatically take centre stage at the top of the screen. Every day, we veer closer to WhatsApp becoming an Instagram clone.
Read More: Ew, ads are coming to WhatsApp
It’s worth mentioning that users can already quickly access a chatter’s status by tapping the ring around their profile picture. Once complete, however, the status ends, and the app sticks the user back into the app’s homepage. If it’s like Instagram, clicking a status in the top bar will spin the carousel and rake in impressions.
Of course, there’s the chance such an update will never see the light of day. There’s no telling when, or if, the update will reach your device. If it does, it’ll likely release alongside the inclusion of ads. Meta still hasn’t revealed when that might happen, likely hoping to surprise-attack us in the dead of night. Either way, it won’t be pretty.
