WhatsApp is currently in the process of rolling out a new update for all Android mobile devices expected to mimic Instagram’s ‘add yours’ feature. In a report on November 7, WABetaInfo announced that the new feature will be included in the latest Android update.
The sticker feature will work by introducing prompts through status updates and is expected to significantly boost engagement by encouraging users to interact with each other's status updates in a new creative way.
“It will allow users to engage with their contacts beyond simple text updates or images, promoting more dynamic interactions. By using the "Add Yours" sticker, people will be able to initiate trends, share personal stories, or simply bring a bit of fun and spontaneity to their user experience in the future,” a report on WABetaInfo read.
“Similar to the "Add Yours" sticker available on Instagram, this feature will let users set a theme, question, or activity that others can participate in by sharing their own status updates.”
This new feature, which is already under-developed and in the Beta testing stage, will engage users’ contacts by encouraging them to interact with their status updates by sharing their own content or opinions, as is done on Instagram.
However, as opposed to Instagram, where you can tell who initiated the thread, if a user sees a status update with the "Add Yours" sticker on WhatsApp and decides to participate by sharing their own content, the audience of the user who shared the update won't be able to see who initiated the chain or what exactly was shared by others who contributed.
“Since WhatsApp status updates are end-to-end encrypted, there's no way to track or identify who has shared or responded to whom," the report read.
"This ensures that the privacy and encryption principles of WhatsApp are maintained, preventing any violation of user privacy by keeping such interactions private and limiting them to the audience the user has selected in their privacy settings."
The new feature will work as in the newly rolled out poll feature that allows WhatsApp users to create polls on their status updates as it will also be available as a content sticker, making it easier for users to place promote directly onto a status update.
"Users will be able to create polls with multiple choice options or limit them to only one choice, allowing their contacts to vote and participate in the discussion directly from their status view. It's important to note that polls shared via status updates will remain private. This means that other viewers cannot see who voted or reach out to those who participated," the report polls rollout on September 27 read.
However, it is unclear whether votes are transmitted to other people who view the status updates as the overall process ensures that all the polls shared via status updates are end-to-end encrypted.
"This encryption means that the content of the poll, including its options and results, is securely transmitted and can only be accessed by the status creator and the viewers. As the feature evolves, it is expected that further details will be clarified on how votes are handled and shared in the future," that report read.
