The new Whatsapp status update feature is so…unnecessary

After Whatsapp launched the video calling function, the next major feature launched is the Whatsapp status update. While there were already video-calling options out in the market, Whatsapp’s rollout gathered a lot of buzz due to its convenience, however, the same cannot be said for its status update feature.

It has barely been little over 24 hours since the launch and there is already quite a negative buzz around it, most people giving it a thumbs-down. Here’s a few negatives that we think are worth looking in to:

Removing the old status option

Whatsapp has removed the old status option that used to be a part of the profile and remained so until you deleted or changed them. Now, you will be required to make status updates every 24 hours or there will simply be none attached to your profile. The strangest bit is, it has to be a photo or video – you can’t just use a text update.

Contact list missing

Another big confusion is the Whatsapp ‘Contacts’ list, which used to be next to Chat tab in the older Whatsapp – it isn’t there now. Now, one has to go to the new message tab and from there access the ‘contacts’ list, which is an unnecessary complication of something so simple.

Social-media PDA

While you do still have the option of not looking at the statuses, Whatsapp used to be a messaging app for good old one-on-one interactions and staying away from the PDA of Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook. What used to be praised as just a messaging app now looks too similar to the other photo-sharing apps like Instagram or Snapchat.

We just loved how this tweet explains it:

The new Whatsapp status update is so……unnecessary…..

— Ameera Kamalrudin (@ameerakmlrdn) February 24, 2017