WhatsApp is developing a way to use status updates to run surveys

WhatsApp is not only one of the most popular communication apps out there, but also one of the most dynamic and frequently updated. The beta releases for WhatsApp are exciting places to hang out and a great way to try, or at least glimpse, new features.

The latest update does not buck the trend. In the most recent beta release for Android, we see developers working a new way to make use of status updates. These are already highly versatile but soon will provide a way to pose questions.

In WhatsApp beta version 2.25.21.8 there are signs of a new way to share questions through a status update. As a status update can already comprise any text, it is reasonable to ask just what it is that is now being added.

The key change here is interactivity. Sure, you could just use a WhatApp status update to wonder “aloud” what people think about a particular topic, but this is something that will fall flat with most people who see it. Expecting people to see a question in this way and feel the urge to send you a message about it is unlikely – hence the new approach.

The change is similar to running a survey or poll, but there is no need to provide a list of predefined answers to choose from – respondents are free to type whatever they want as an answer. This takes the pressure off the poster, and provides respondents with carte blanche to say whatever they want as a reply.

WhatsApp status questions

The new option is to ask a question via an interactive status update. When you type a question as an update in this way, you will be able to choose whether to make it available to all of your contacts, or a limited audience – as WABetaInfo reports.

When someone sees the status, they will see not only the question you have posed, but also an invitation to respond. To immediately address concerns about privacy, any responses are shared only with the person who wrote the status update; they are not posted publicly.

Responses can only be seen by the poster, who will also be able to see the identity of respondents. Having this information collected together in a dedicated section makes the data accessible in a useful way.

The original poster does have the ability to share individual responses publicly, but only the response is shared, not the name of the person who provided it.

This is not an entirely new concept dreamt up by WhatsApp developers. It is an idea that has been tried in various forms on other platforms, and it is something that has great potential for information gathering both in the work environment, and in more casual chats.

For now, this is a feature that remains locked to the beta version of the Android app, and there is no official word on when it might be released more widely. The fact that it has popped up in a beta version is no guarantee that it will get a full release, but as there has been scant few features tested in this way before being dropped, it seems likely that it will be tested, tweaked, fine-tuned, and ultimately made available to everyone.

Is this something that feels useful to you? 

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