iWorld
Vi says ‘Let’s Netflix’
Mumbai: Leading telecom operator Vi, today announced its partnership with the global streaming service provider – Netflix, further strengthening its entertainment offerings for its customers. With this partnership, Vi users will be able to enjoy world-class entertainment with the best streaming experience on any device of their choice – mobile, television or tablet. Vi has currently introduced Netflix offering for its prepaid customers and will soon be launching Netflix bundled postpaid plans too.
Home to an incredible variety of local and global stories like Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, Amar Singh Chamkila, The Great Indian Kapil Show, Laapataa Ladies, Animal, Fighter, Dunki, Squid Game, Bridgerton, Mamla Legal Hai to name a few, Netflix in India recently announced its power-packed 2024 lineup, offering a wide range of films and series for the audience.
Vi has introduced two new unlimited prepaid packs offering unlimited calls & data bundled with Netflix basic subscription that will allow users to watch Netflix on mobile as well as TV.
Today, Vi is the only telecom operator to offer a Netflix basic proposition at an attractive price point of less than Rs 1000 bundled with a prepaid plan. Apart from the above-mentioned benefits, Vi users recharging with the 84 days validity product, will also get flagship Hero proposition benefits such as data delight, night binge and weekend data roll-over.
Vi will soon launch its postpaid offerings with Netflix.
iWorld
WhatsApp may soon let users to pick who sees their status updates
The messaging giant is borrowing a page from Instagram’s playbook as it pushes to give users finer control over their social circles.
CALIFORNIA: WhatsApp is quietly working on a feature that could make its Status function considerably smarter and considerably more private.
According to reports from beta tracking platforms, the app is testing a tool called Status lists, which would allow users to create named groups such as close friends, family and colleagues, and control precisely which group sees each update. It is a meaningful step up from the platform’s current blunt instruments, which offer only three options: share with all contacts, exclude specific people, or manually select individuals each time.
The new feature draws an obvious comparison with Instagram’s Close Friends function, and the resemblance is unlikely to be accidental. Both platforms sit within Meta’s family, and the company has been nudging them toward a common logic of audience segmentation for some time.
The move also fits neatly into WhatsApp’s broader privacy push. The platform has been rolling out enhanced chat protections and is exploring the introduction of usernames, which would allow users to connect without exchanging phone numbers. Status lists extend that philosophy from messaging into broadcasting.
Meanwhile, Status itself has been evolving well beyond its origins as a simple photo-and-text slideshow. The feature now supports music stickers, collages, longer videos and interactive elements, pushing it closer to the social-media-style story format pioneered by Snapchat and refined by Instagram. In that context, finer audience controls are not merely a privacy feature. They are a precondition for people sharing more.
The feature remains in development and has not been confirmed for release. WhatsApp routinely tests tools that are later modified or quietly shelved. But the direction of travel is clear: the app wants Status to be a destination, not an afterthought. Letting users decide exactly who is in the audience is how it gets there.
