3 min read
WhatsApp is introducing Activity Notes, a refreshed version of its earlier “About” feature, giving users a fast way to share short updates that appear directly on their profile and at the top of chat windows. The feature adds a new layer of expression without turning WhatsApp into a full social platform, striking a balance between utility and personal presence.
The update revives a tool that existed before WhatsApp became synonymous with encrypted messaging. This time, the interface has been rebuilt for immediacy: Activity Notes appear as small bubbles above a contact’s name in one-on-one chats, offering a quick snapshot of what someone is doing or feeling. Users can tap the bubble to reply, nudging casual updates into real conversations.
How Activity Notes Work
Once the update reaches users, they can set an Activity Note through their profile settings. Notes can expire after 24 hours by default or remain longer, depending on user preference. Viewers are limited to the audiences users select, preserving control over who sees personal updates. This privacy-first approach differentiates Activity Notes from more public features common on rival social apps.
WhatsApp put their new feature out to the world in the following words:
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.
Why WhatsApp Is Adding This Now
The platform faces growing competition as younger audiences gravitate toward lightweight, conversational social tools. Activity Notes align with those habits: fleeting, low-effort, and non-intrusive. Instead of pushing users toward Stories or external platforms, WhatsApp appears to be offering a native middle ground that keeps interaction inside the app.
For Meta, the parent company, the feature offers another channel to deepen engagement without compromising the app’s reputation for private communication. Even subtle increases in user activity matter in a messaging ecosystem where growth has plateaued across mature markets.
A Feature That May Shift User Behaviour
Whether Activity Notes becomes widely adopted will depend on how users blend it into everyday communication. It may emerge as a way to signal availability, share mood, or simply break the ice without sending a full message. For WhatsApp, the experiment marks a notable attempt to refresh personal expression inside an app long defined by minimalism.
Rather than transforming the platform, Activity Notes presents something more pragmatic: a small feature designed to reshape how conversations start, making WhatsApp feel a little more human in the process.
