WhatsApp Plans to Roll Out Status Forwarding Toggle Very Soon

WhatsApp is preparing to give users enhanced control over their Status posts with a new forwarding toggle that will let individuals decide if others can share their updates. First spotted in the Android beta 2.25.16.16, this feature adds an on/off switch in Status privacy settings. When disabled, the toggle will prevent anyone from forwarding or resharing your Status to their own contacts. By contrast, enabling the toggle restores the familiar behavior where viewers can pass your updates along.

How the WhatsApp Status Forwarding Works

WhatsApp will introduce a dedicated “Allow Reshare” switch within Status settings under the Privacy menu. Turning it off will remove the forward icon from viewers’ screens, effectively locking your Status to its original audience. Even when forwarding is allowed, forwarded copies hide your phone number and profile details to preserve privacy.

When the toggle is enabled, your contacts can tap a new forward button to share your Status directly in their chats or in their own Status feed. Forwarded updates respect your original privacy audience while stripping out identifying metadata.

Disabling the toggle greys out the forward control on your Status posts. Viewers can still screenshot or use screen‑recording tools, but in‑app forwarding is fully blocked.

Until now, users could only control who sees their Status, not whether those viewers could reshare it. The new toggle fills that gap, giving more granular control over how content propagates.

Expected Release Date

Beta testers report the toggle in Android 2.25.16.16 and 2.25.16.19 builds, with a global rollout expected within weeks. WhatsApp has not yet confirmed timelines for iOS or desktop versions, but similar privacy updates usually follow Android releases within a month.

For private users, the toggle prevents unintended resharing of personal updates, photo stories, and ephemeral posts. Businesses and creators can also benefit by controlling how promotional Status content spreads, reducing unwanted forwarding or misattribution.