WhatsApp coloured text status updates now rolling out; Instagram-style stickers coming soon

After showing up in the **beta builds** , WhatsApp seems to have made the new coloured text status feature live for users today. The new feature that lets users set their WhatsApp status with a coloured background with bold text seems to have gone live for Android and iOS devices. [caption id=“attachment_3959357” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Reuters[/caption] The feature comes from WhatsApp’s current owners, Facebook. Not too long ago, Facebook had introduced a coloured text status feature on its Android app that let users write status updates on a solid coloured background along with emojis. WhatsApp’s new feature is somewhat the same and is now available on both Android smartphones and iPhones. The rollout of the feature seems gradual so it may take a while to appear in the status section of your app. Apple iPhone users will find the pen icon show up next to the camera icon, in the new Status bar. As for Android smartphone owners, they will see a new pen icon show up above the camera icon when in the status tab. [caption id=“attachment_3961917” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] WhatsApp coloured text status updates[/caption] Adding an update is simple. You tap on the pen icon, and you will see a single solid coloured background appear with the words ‘Type a status’ in the centre and the emoji, text formatting and colour palette options on the bottom left side. Simply type you status, modify it as you like and press the Send arrow button. Once sent, the status will get published for all of your WhatsApp contacts to see and respond. Going by the users in our office, it is the Android lot that seems to have gotten the update first. iOS users may have to wait a bit until it appears. A detail to note here is that this is a server side update, meaning that you will not see a WhatsApp app update appear on your Google Play Or App Store. On the beta side of things, another update from Wabetainfo hints that WhatsApp will introduce Instagram style stickers in Status. While it was earlier possible to insert text and emoji on photos in iOS, WhatsApp is working on a feature that will allow users to apply stickers on their photos.