But this time, there’s a twist. Pictures and videos sent through Status will be end-to-end encrypted, just like its messaging service.

WhatsApp began the beta-testing of Status back in November, but now the feature is rolling out worldwide on iOS, Android and Windows devices. 

Through Status, users can watch updates from friends, take pictures and videos, as well as draw and caption their imagery before sending off their creations to groups of contacts of their choosing. Sending media to specific friends is still done through message threads.

Read also: WhatsApp GIF feature now available for Android

This is a departure from WhatsApp’s usual chat only function. “The original idea behind the project was to build an application that lets your friends and other contacts know what you’re up to,” said WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum. 

Previously, WhatsApp’s only feature outside of messaging was its away statuses. The company told TechCrunch that it saw so many people quickly updating these statuses to communicate in real time that it pivoted to chat. 

WhatsApp could halt Snapchat’s growth in regions like South America, Eastern Europe and Asia, where it is one of the most used messaging services and Snapchat has yet to gain traction. 

Status could also work as new advertising opportunities for WhatsApp, as both Snapchat and Instagram utilize their features to insert full-screen ads in-between friends’ stories/posts. (sul/kes)

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