WhatsApp is bringing back one of its most nostalgic features—the original “About” status that predates the platform’s evolution into a sophisticated messaging app. The company announced the return of About notes with a modern Instagram-inspired twist, marking a significant shift toward ephemeral, lightweight status updates.
What is the Original About Feature?
When WhatsApp launched in 2009, its founders Jan Koum and Brian Acton designed the app to display status messages next to people’s names in a phone’s contact book. This simple feature evolved into what later became the “About” section—before the platform introduced Stories-like Status updates that dominated user behavior.
Now, WhatsApp is revisiting that concept for users who prefer text-based updates over image-heavy content.
Key Features of the Revamped About Notes
The updated About feature offers several modernizations designed for 2025:
Text-Only Updates with Emoji Support: Users can share short phrases, moods, and availability updates through text or emojis. This allows users to signal when they’re busy, unavailable, or simply want to share a brief thought without the pressure of posting a photo or video.
24-Hour Disappearing Notes: The new About notes automatically expire after 24 hours, similar to Instagram’s Notes feature. Users can customize this duration or adjust visibility settings to control who sees their updates and for how long.
Enhanced Visibility: The About note now appears pinned at the top of one-on-one chats and is prominently displayed on user profiles, making it much easier for contacts to spot and engage with updates.
Reaction Support: Just like Instagram Notes, anyone who sees your About note can tap on it within a chat and respond instantly with reactions, fostering quick engagement.
Privacy Controls: Users can decide who sees their About notes, with settings to restrict visibility to contacts or expand it to a broader audience, preventing awkward encounters between professional and personal contacts.
Rollout Timeline
WhatsApp began rolling out the updated About feature to smartphone users globally starting this week. The feature will be introduced gradually throughout November, with users able to access the new options through the Settings menu once it becomes available on their device.
Why Now?
The reintroduction reflects WhatsApp’s acknowledgment that not all users embrace the elaborate Status feature. For those seeking simplicity and context-sharing without the pressure of multimedia content, the revamped About notes offer a middle ground. By blending nostalgia with contemporary social media trends—specifically Instagram’s proven Notes format—WhatsApp is attempting to revitalize a beloved feature that many longtime users missed.