WhatsApp is preparing a notable enhancement across iOS, Android, and desktop versions of the messaging app. In the works is a feature that will display a rich preview for links shared in user statuses, giving people a clearer sense of what a link leads to before they tap it. This improvement aims to turn simple text links into informative, visually engaging preview blocks that sit alongside the status itself, making updates more informative and easier to scan at a glance.
Right now, when a user shares a link in a status as plain text, the feed shows only the address. In a future update, that behavior will evolve. The planned change will provide a preview that includes a thumbnail image, a short description, and the link address, assembling these elements into a cohesive card that sits beneath or near the text. This shift is designed to help friends and contacts quickly gauge the content behind a link, reducing guesswork and encouraging more thoughtful sharing. The source of this information is WABetainfo, which has been closely tracking WhatsApp’s beta and release notes for such enhancements.
WhatsApp explains that links shared as text in statuses will become rich previews, essentially adding a compact, card-like box that presents a picture, a succinct description, and the domain or address in addition to the link itself. The preview is intended to appear as a complete unit within the status view, giving viewers an at-a-glance sense of the linked page and its context, rather than leaving them with just a bare URL to decipher. In practice, users will see the preview alongside the link, creating a more informative and visually appealing experience for status viewers.
At the moment, this feature is still in development and has not yet reached beta testers. It is expected to arrive with a future app update, expanding the way link sharing is presented in statuses across devices. As with other WhatsApp improvements, the rollout may occur gradually, with regions and devices gaining access over time. The development timeline remains provisional, dependent on testing results and user feedback, and WhatsApp has indicated this feature is on the roadmap for upcoming releases.