WhatsApp is introducing a new feature to its status updates, currently being tested with beta users in the 2.24.20.3 update through the Google Play Beta Program. This feature allows users to mention contacts in their status updates using a button in the caption bar. When a contact is mentioned, they receive a notification and a message in their chat informing them about the mention.
The mentions are private, meaning other viewers of the status update cannot see who has been mentioned. Only the mentioned contact gets the notification. Even if a mentioned contact is excluded from viewing other status updates due to privacy settings, they will still see the status update in which they are mentioned.
Additionally, mentioned contacts can reshare the status update with their audience through a new reshare button within the status screen. In this case, the identity of the original creator remains private, and viewers of the reshared status cannot directly contact the original creator.
The feature is available to some beta testers who install the latest updates of WhatsApp beta for Android from the Google Play Store and will be rolled out to more users over the coming weeks.
