WhatsApp update introduces 'Statuses', as Facebook takes features from Snapchat once again

And it all feels a little familiar. The company has re-invented the status tool – which until now has only offered the option to put a piece of text next to your name, like "at the gym" – so that it takes one of Snapchat's most central and celebrated features. And it is just the latest Facebook company to do so – with everything from Instagram to Facebook's own app taking its competitors innovations. People will now be able to share photos and videos as "statuses", in a similar way to how stories work on Snapchat and now Instagram. Rather than simply posting text, they will be able to add pictures that will show for all their friends – until they are automatically deleted.