WhatsApp brings back 'About' in a new form: What's different, how to set up

WhatsApp is reintroducing its classic About feature with a redesigned, Instagram-Notes-style text update that appears atop chats and gives users full control over who can see it

WhatsApp is reintroducing its “About” feature for short text updates, giving it a fresh redesign after years of being tucked away in profile settings. The company said this was one of the earliest features on the platform and is now being brought back in a more visible, lightweight format that resembles Instagram’s Notes feature — allowing users to share brief updates that contacts can easily see.

 

In a blog post, WhatsApp said, “For those of you that have used WhatsApp from the very start, you’ll remember About was our first feature. Even before we brought the world private and secure messaging, we made it simple for you to quickly share what’s up in your life. Today we're reintroducing and improving About, making it more visible, timely, and easier to use.” 

 

WhatsApp’s About feature: What’s new

WhatsApp said that the redesigned About update will now appear more prominently in the app — showing up at the top of one-on-one chats as well as on your profile page. Users can also tap on a contact’s About update inside a chat to send a reply.

 

By default, each About update will disappear automatically after 24 hours. However, WhatsApp is giving users the ability to change this timing, either making it expire sooner or keeping it active for longer. The timer can be adjusted by navigating to Settings > Set About.

Privacy controls are included as well. Users can choose who gets to see their About updates, similar to WhatsApp Status visibility options. These include sharing with all contacts or limiting visibility to selected people through the privacy menu.

 

WhatsApp said that the feature is positioned as a quick way to let others know what you’re up to — whether you are busy, free to talk or want to share a short thought using text or an emoji. While the experience is similar to Instagram Notes, Instagram currently supports extras such as music snippets and map locations, which are not available for WhatsApp’s About updates at the moment.

 

WhatsApp said that the updated About feature is beginning to roll out to all users this week.

How to set a WhatsApp About update

• Open WhatsApp on your phone and head to Settings.
• Tap the new “What’s happening” text that appears under your name.
• Alternatively, tap your profile picture and select the “Set About” option.
• In the About section, type your short text update (up to 50 characters) or choose from WhatsApp’s preset suggestions.
• Choose how long the update should stay visible — 1 hour, 8 hours, 1 day, 2 days, 1 week, or a custom duration — and tap Save.
• Finally, tap the Set About button at the bottom-right corner of the screen.