WhatsApp fuels rivalry, rolls out Snapchat-like 'Status'

A recent feature rolled out by WhatsApp now allows users to post self-deleting stories as their status update.

Heavily inspired by Snapchat and Instagram’s stories’ feature, what makes the Facebook-owned messaging app’s “Status” update more appealing is the additional layer of security through end-to-end encryption.

“We are rolling out an update to status, which allows you to share photos and videos with your friends and contacts on WhatsApp in an easy and secure way. Yes, even your status updates are end-to-end encrypted,” WhatsApp CEO and co-founder, Jan Koum stated.

WhatsApp Status v/s Snapchat Story v/s Instagram Story

Audience

• WhatsApp status update is only available for your contacts. Additional settings help you customize which of your contacts can view it.
• You can make your Instagram Stories visible to either the public or only your followers. Additional settings allow controlling message replies to your stories and further customizing visibility within your followers.
• Snapchat stories are available to everyone on the platform.

Editing

• WhatsApp status update has the unique feature of cropping the image and captioning your update before it goes live.
• Snapchat’s unique editing feature allows you to cut a piece of your image, which can be added to your emoticon gallery.
• Doodling on Snapchat and WhatsApp means drawing on top of the image using different colours, however doodling on Instagram stories gives you options such as a thin, thick, and glowy line for drawing hands-free and heart doodles.
• Snapchat and Instagram stories allow users to experiment with different filters just by swiping the image on the edit mode. This feature isn’t available on WhatsApp status update.

Camera Screen/Updating Options

• WhatsApp also allows users to upload images, GIFs, and video clips from the internal storage of their device. Instagram and Snapchat don’t have this feature.
• Instagram allows you to use third-party apps like Boomerang and Handsfree to post your story on the app
• Snapchat only allows live videos and images to be posted on its platform
• By user numbers alone, Snapchat’s 150-million strong userbase doesn't seem to be much of a competition to WhatsApp’s one billion plus and Instagram’s 300 million users. However, user numbers alone do not tell the whole story.

Snapchat's parent company, Snap, plans to raise more than US$2 billion through an IPO next month.

The funds are likely to help the company intensify its marketing and R&D efforts, which could pose a considerable threat to Facebook.

The unmatched user numbers of Facebook-owned apps have made competition increasingly tough for Snapchat. However, the latter has consistently proved to be more inventive and innovative than Facebook, which makes it difficult to say if Snapchat’s chances of survival in the digital ecosphere are slim.