WhatsApp completely overhauled its Status feature in a bumper software update, rolled-out back in February.
The redesigned feature lets WhatsApp users broadcast short videos, photos and GIFs to their contacts.
These can all be customised with emojis and handwritten annotations, and is very similar in functionality to Instagram Stories or SnapChat.
Friends and family can react to a Status by tapping on the Reply button, with the response sent as a new WhatsApp message.
Like Instagram, SnapChat and Facebook Messenger, these ephemeral video stories disappear after 24 hours.
Originally, your status on WhatsApp was nothing more than a simple line of text.
The brief message was visible to all contacts and let WhatsApp users share their thoughts, or let friends and family know whether they were available to talk with a range of pre-sets statuses, like “At Work”, “Can’t Talk WhatsApp Only” or “Available”.
Although the rich new Status is clearly an improvement, the fact that WhatsApp users can no longer use the Status feature to inform others whether they are available to talk is a serious downside.
Thankfully, WhatsApp is looking to bring back the original status.
First spotted by technology blog Android Police, WhatsApp appears to have revived the simple text status in beta version 2.17.95 or newer.
In the latest Android beta, the good ol’ fashioned status can be found within the Profile settings menu.
However, with the revived feature, it appears WhatsApp is looking to transition to an About Me-style blurb, rather than a regularly-updated status post.
Despite the classic status making a welcome return, the new Status remains in its new tab.
Android smartphone owners can download the latest beta update by registering as a beta tester in the Google Play Store.
The news comes as report published this week claimed WhatsApp could soon be flooded with adverts, thanks to a substantial new expansion to the app.
WhatsApp is reportedly testing a new feature that would allow businesses to contact users directly via the chat app.
The news comes from Reuters, which claims that WhatsApp is looking for new ways to make its service more profitable.
It’s thought that the update could soon mean businesses would need to pay for the privilege of using WhatsApp to contact users directly.
However it says that the company is aware of the potential that the service could be abused by businesses to send spam to users.
WhatsApp is reportedly testing the feature already with a number of start-ups, one of which confirmed that a trial was underway.
Collar Inc, which makes smart collars for dairy cows, said that the system would help its work by sending an automatic alert via WhatsApp if a cow is not behaving normally.
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