Subtle change is quietly introduced to WhatsApp messages that users are not a fan of
WhatsApp just made a really subtle change in its recent update - but it's enough to infuriate almost all its users.
Usually, WhatsApp fixes security bugs or introduces new features like HD-quality photo sharing, or bringing back old ones - but this one is different altogether.
When you're in a conversation with someone on WhatsApp, there is a status icon at the top, below the person's name, that shows whether they're online or not.
Whether you use this to check if the person's seen your message or just read and blanked you is another story.
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In the latest version, WhatsApp has changed the way the 'online' and 'typing' status messages are displayed during chats. Instead of all lowercase, they now start with capital letters, i.e. 'Online' and 'Typing.'
Yes, that's all.
However, the change hasn't skipped past its attentive users who have been expressing their frustration with the change of two letters.
While there's been no official announcement from WhatsApp about the change, users have been channelling their outrage on social media platforms like X.
One such post has been reshared over 1,600 times. The viral post read: 'WhatsApp changing the online status from online to Online has sent me west…….why upset me like this'.
'The introduction of the capital T for ‘typing’ on WhatsApp has bothered me more than it should,' another user proclaimed.
'why has whatsapp capitalised the first letters on "online" and "typing.." pls it's making me icky,' wrote another.
A third vented: 'Anyone else notice WhatsApp have changed the typing and online part at the top and made it a capital letter?!
'Making my eye twitch.'
While one other fumed: 'please I KNOW ITS SUCH A SMALL DETAIL BUT ITS SO ANNOYING'.
If you haven't spotted the change, it might not have reached your device yet.
The change appears to be rolling out on both Android and iOS devices, but it hasn't reached everyone using the app nor made it to the web and desktop versions yet.
Some users noticed the change on one of their devices but not the other so it doesn't seem to have the same instant effect as other Meta updates
This change could be a Meta move to give WhatsApp a similar appearance to its other apps, for instance, on Meta’s other major chat platform Facebook Messenger, the online indicator is capitalised.