San Francisco, Mar 15 (IANS): Meta-owned messaging platform WhatsApp is rolling out a new "Boost Status" shortcut for businesses on Android and iOS beta which allows them to advertise their status updates on Facebook and Instagram.

The new feature allows businesses to forward status updates to the Facebook or Instagram application.

Beta testers on the business app can edit the ad and the description, and can also choose how long it will run.

The new feature will help businesses to reach customers who are not on WhatsApp but use Facebook and Instagram, allowing businesses to reach a larger audience and generate more sales.

The new shortcut to advertise a status is currently available to some users that install the latest business versions of WhatsApp beta for iOS and Android, the report said.

Meanwhile, earlier this month, it was reported that the messaging platform was working to bring communities to its "WhatsApp Business" application for iOS.