WhatsApp is working to bring rich link previews to status updates
The advent ofrich link previewsfor URLs sent on modern messaging apps has made Rickrolling, among other malevolent acts, much harder to do. However, when it comes to status updates onWhatsApp, if someone drops a link in theirs, curious users clicking on them have nothing but faith to go on. That might change soon, though.
WABetaInforeports from the latest betas for various device clients that WhatsApp is working on generating rich previews for links when they’re shared as part of a status update.
This screenshot from the iOS version shows that users will still see the URL in plain text form, but a card will accompany it with a header image, the site title, a description, and the URL again. Viewers will only see the preview card if the user writing the status update allows a few seconds for it to generate, so that may mean that even if this feature were to roll out officially, not all links in status updates would receive a rich preview card. We’d generally be warier of tapping on those, but that’s just us.
The card generally looks the same on the desktop client, if only with more room to spare. you could see an example in the screenshot above.
The Android app already generates some form of rich preview for links in text status updates, but it’s not as detailed as what’s seen above in the betas. It’s expected that these changes will indeed make their way to the Android side at some point in the future.
UPDATE: 2022/05/19 14:10 EST BY STEPHEN SCHENCK
Android progress
It’s still not yet available, butWABetaInfo has spotted further evidencetowards this feature’s development on Android is starting to appear in the latest WhatsApp beta.
The note-taking app I should have used all along
Broader branding hints at wider paid-tier ambitions
It’s never been cheaper
I played the opening mission of The Outer Worlds 2 and really enjoyed what I experienced
Storage upgrades have never been so important
An advanced, compact, purpose-built device
