Users don't seem to be loving the new WhatsApp update and here's why

Whatsapp needs no introduction, it's almost as popular as Facebook itself. The messaging app bought by Facebook rolled out a new update a few days ago that included a new "WhatsApp Status" feature. It is safe to say now Facebook is kind of obsessed with Snapchat. One by one, feature by feature, the devs at Facebook, and Facebook owned services are copying Snapchat. Only this time, users don't seem to like it.

I don't use Whatsapp. Never been a fan. And while I did know about this new feature rolling out, this morning I woke up and I found memes making fun of it. I read the comments and realized something is wrong with the new update and people seem to not like it. I decided I'll install Whatsapp and see what this is about myself. I did, but before that, I took a look at the comments on the app's Playstore page.

It's obvious, people don't dislike it. They hate it. And thus the long and detailed complaints. Everybody has their own explanations but mostly, it is but one common reason. Parents. Snapchat is confusing for parents, and thus quite popular among kids today. It's a niche that Snapchat adopted, and now can't break free of. In its early days, Facebook used to be the same, and so was Whatsapp. Today, Facebook and Whatsapp are both used by a lot of parents. While Snapchat and Instagram are universally popular amongst millennials, WhatsApp is a more 'family-oriented' app.

So its understandable that many are not liking the change. We know what kind of stuff gets shared among the realm of parents. You're probably going to see that now in a more vivid, colorful way. But here's something that might help if you do wish to try the new feature. The Status feature has three privacy options.

My contacts: Status will be shared with all contacts.

My contacts except: Status will be shared with all contacts excluding the contacts you don’t want to share.

Only share with: Status will be shared only to the contacts you want to share.

Users can also see who has viewed their Status update by tapping the eye icon at the bottom of any Status update. So it's not all bad. There is some level of control over who you share it with.
There are however some other reasons people are not a fan of the new update.

WhatsApp has removed the old status update feature that people used with their profile photo. You can only see your username and phone number now after the update. Those who used their status as a subtle way of letting contacts know about their absence or availability in town, tough luck.
The new feature lets you show the world what you're doing via photos, videos and GIFs but you can't write your status anymore. Nope. And then it goes poof in 24 hours. Gone like it was never there. Although there is a silver lining if you liked the old status updates.
The new update also removes the Contacts tab and replaces it with Call logs. If you want to access your contacts, it now shows message logo at the bottom which if you touch takes you to the 'select contact' page where you find all your all contacts. This complicates things a bit, and quite unnecessarily.

With features like these, Whatsapp does not seem like the simple messaging app it used to be, which is why people jumped on board in the first place. It is now more like a social media platform and users are not very excited about the new direction this is going into.

If you have a rooted Android device, XDA senior member GokulNC has a guide for you in case you wish to remove the new Status feature.

Do you use Whatsapp? Do you like the new update?