WhatsApp Status

Status Likes

My role: Lead designer on WhatsApp Status, a vertical team with 4 designers

I lead the design and strategy for WhatsApp Status, the world’s largest stories product with 1.5 billion users (primarily used outside of North America and Western Europe). One of the most impactful projects at WhatsApp is Status Likes, a 0-1 product I spearheaded from strategy to execution. This product was so successful that it was responsible for 38% of the Status team’s impact in 2024 and was a significant contribution to growing Status usage. Prior to Status Likes, there was no lightweight way to share feedback on a status - a key feature gap against competitors - making status feel less rewarding for posters and less engaging for viewers.

Success Metrics:
• Contributed to 38% of the Status team’s overall impact
• Status Likes DAU is 331.01M (~25% of Status Viewers)
• Average Status interactions (interactions = replies/reactions) received per post increased from .56 to 1.78
• Percent of Posters getting feedback (Replies + Likes): increase from ~68% to ~83%
• Total Likes sent EOY ‘24 is 113B, daily is 1.68B and growing

In the News:

WhatsApp rolls out private mentions, likes and reshare in Status   - The Hindu

WhatsApp Status to soon get Instagram Stories-like features - The Indian Express

Share the Love on WhatsApp Status - WhatsApp Blog

Tl;dr - watch the Youtube video below to view the full experience of Status Likes.

Viewer Experience

The status viewer experience refers to the experience of a user who is viewing a status.

Status Likes required a high level of craftsmanship, providing an opportunity to infuse the brand voice and create refined, intentional micro-interactions. The experience was bi-directional, demanding a thoughtful approach to both the viewer and poster interactions.

For the viewer experience, I researched human heartbeat patterns and EKG lines through various resources to inform the animation curves for the “heartbeat” animation when a viewer likes a status. Additionally, haptic feedback was integrated to enhance the tactile experience when engaging with the status.

Poster Experience

The poster experience refers to the user that is sharing a status. Posters can receive status likes and view the contacts that have liked their status.

Status Likes are a key component of the WhatsApp ecosystem and drive engagement within the Status flywheel. Validation and feedback from Status Likes encourage users to post more statuses, often sparking conversations and chat threads that further contribute to the broader network effect.

For the poster experience, every design choice was made with intentionality and attention to detail. This included selecting a specific green—aligned with WhatsApp’s activity indicators and closest to the brand’s primary color—while adhering to accessibility standards. Significant thought went into notifications to inform posters when they've received Likes. Batching and bundling logic were carefully considered to prevent overwhelming users who receive multiple likes on a Status. The heart cutout in the viewer sheet, along with heart bubbles representing likes, were designed to evoke a sense of excitement and engagement.