WhatsApp could soon get smarter about showing relevant status updates first

WhatsApp has been a Meta property for a decade now, and the social media influence is starting to show. We are convinced WhatsApp is one of the messaging platforms trying to become a full-blown social media platform, as suggested by recent changes to the Status tab, such as the thumbnail previews for updates and the inclusion of Channels. The only thing missing was algorithmic sorting, but a recent beta reveals that’s coming to WhatsApp too.

Meta developers have been hard at work polishing the Status updates tab to a gleaming shine with improvements like thumbnail content previews. However, chat messages and status updates have always been sorted in reverse chronological order, which puts the latest update or received message first, immediately after your pinned chats.

However, all the recent beta versions of the app have already made the switch to algorithmic sorting, which prioritizes some updates over others after weighing in a handful of factors.

This could be the end of WhatsApp’s simplistic days

Since algorithms are always like a secret sauce with the names and proportions of ingredients shrouded in mystery, the sleuths at WABetaInfo have identified that the status updates will be prioritized based on a handful of parameters. Contacts you interact with frequently will be ranked higher up. Updates from contacts pinned in the Chats tab will also show up before others. Other factors include the immediacy or recency of your last interaction with the contact who posted the update.

Interestingly, WhatsApp will also push expiring updates higher up in the queue so you have a chance to see them before they’re gone for good. Any updates from WhatsApp’s official handle, often used to introduce and popularize new features, will be bumped to the top of the queue.

WABetaInfo says the focus on privacy remains steadfast because the algorithm operates autonomously on your device and data isn’t shared with WhatsApp servers. Moreover, linked devices may not display updates in the same sequence because they could be missing the data needed to prioritize contact interactions the same way.

Many moons ago, even Instagram used reverse chronological sorting for its feed, but it lost its allure as a hub for fine photography quickly thereafter, as influencers made it a playground for attempts to game the algorithm and grab more eyeballs. WhatsApp hasn’t gone that route yet because the new sorting system is still in beta, but algorithmic sorting could soon go stable and eventually steer interactions on the app. And that might not be a pretty sight.