WhatsApp has been forced to reverse a subtle design change, after receiving serious backlash from users on social media.
The private messaging app sparked uproar when they quietly added capital letters to status updates.
For years, WhatsApp has displayed a status notice for other users on the app, which typically read “online” or “typing” underneath their profile picture.
But in recent days, the Meta-owned messaging service decided to capitalise the words “Online” and “Typing”.
While it was a subtle (and more grammatically correct) change, WhatsApp users are clearly creatures of habit and were furious over it.
Can I just say…
The person/people responsible for changing “online” to “Online” and “typing” to “Typing” on WhatsApp are unhinged lunatics who must be stopped before they unleash more carnage on society.
— HLTCO (@HLTCO) April 14, 2024
Anyone else get irrationally annoyed by WhatsApp’s latest iOS update where, if someone is online, it’s now with a capital ‘O’ (Online), or when someone is typing, it’s a capital ‘T’ (Typing).
Only a capital letter different, but I hate it so much 😂
— Nathan Nicholson (@JnathanN) April 10, 2024
Niche tweet: has anyone else noticed that the ‘o’ in ‘online’ on WhatsApp has now been capitalised to ‘Online’… No idea why this is irritating me so much 🤣
— Sam McAlister (@SamMcAlister1) April 15, 2024
WhatsApp changing the online status from online to Online has sent me west…….why upset me like this
— Sophie (@sophiefernley) April 13, 2024
WhatsApp changing online to Online gives me the ick
— Nicola Hume (@Nicola_Hume) April 15, 2024
I am unreasonably annoyed about WhatsApp upper-casing the “online” status pic.twitter.com/kJLNXQvtNt
— Olivia Solon (@oliviasolon) April 16, 2024
Really angered more than I should be by WhatsApp’s sudden capitalisation of the word Online.
— Tom Peck (@tompeck) April 15, 2024
why has whatsapp capitalised the first letters on “online” and “typing..” pls it’s making me icky
— Ri (@jhumkawali) April 14, 2024
After thousands of users expressed their irritation over the update on social media, a spokesman has confirmed they’re reversing the change.
They told The Telegraph: “This was just a small test, but it’s going back to normal now.”
Phew!
