WhatsApp Prepares to Merge Status and Channels on Its Web Version

WhatsApp is testing a redesign on the web client that would bring Status and Channels closer together, mirroring how the mobile app already treats updates as a single destination.

According to WABetaInfo, the company is working on an Updates tab for WhatsApp Web that merges the viewing experience for status updates and channels, effectively making the browser version feel less like a companion screen and more like a full-featured client.

In the reported test, WhatsApp Web places both formats in one place so users can check friends’ status posts and follow channel updates without bouncing between separate areas of the interface. WABetaInfo describes the change as “unifying status updates and channels in a single interface,” which would also help align WhatsApp Web with the product direction Meta has pushed since Channels launched.

WhatsApp’s own Help Center positions Channels as a one-to-many broadcast tool and Status as a personal sharing format, both designed for consumption rather than conversation, and both already surfaced in the Updates area on phones. On the side panel, once you pick a channel, the web client will show you the updates from that specific channel in a dedicated view. This new layout is quite similar to what you already see on the WhatsApp app for Mac, where the Updates tab has been around for a while. So, if you’re already using WhatsApp on your Mac, you’ll find the web interface feels familiar right away. This design keeps everything consistent across platforms while making sure the interface remains user-friendly and easy to navigate.

Recent product moves also suggest WhatsApp wants updates content to be easier to access and easier to monetize without disrupting messaging. Multiple reports this year have tracked Meta’s push to expand Channels and the Updates surface with promotion and subscription style options while keeping personal chats separate. A web-first Updates tab fits that playbook by increasing reach and time spent with channel posts in a familiar desktop workflow.

WABetaInfo, the reputed WhatsApp news breaker, says the feature is under development and not broadly available, which tracks with WhatsApp’s typical rollout pattern of shipping interface changes gradually after internal validation. If the Updates tab lands widely on WhatsApp Web, users should expect a clearer split between chats and updates, with Status and Channels becoming a more prominent, dedicated destination on desktop.

Although these changes were introduced years ago on mobile apps, the web client currently still maintains a separation between channels and status updates across two distinct tabs. In the update beta, WhatsApp has also reorganized shortcuts, moving the privacy settings entry and adding a new shortcut to create status updates within the plus menu at the top of the screen.