Facebook launches new "sidebar status" update to mobile app for iOS, Android

Washington: Facebook has launched a new feature " sidebar status" on its mobile application for iOS and Android , starting in Taiwan and Australia, wherein users can write an "away" message which will be accompanied with a picture icon.

According to the Verge, the sidebar currently shows the most frequently messaged friends.

Now, in a test that Facebook is running in Taiwan and Australia, users will see short status messages under their friends' names.

The message shows up only in the sidebar, it does not appear in the newsfeed and they expire in 12 hours.