A status is a photo, video, voice note or text that your contacts can see for 24 hours, then it disappears. You post it from the Updates tab and choose exactly who can see it in Status privacy.
Post a status on Android
- Open WhatsApp and tap Updates.
- Tap Add status (your photo with a plus) or the camera button to post a photo or video, or the pencil button to post text.
- Take or pick a photo/video. Add a caption, stickers or drawing if you like.
- Tap the green send arrow. Check the line above it, which shows who will see it (for example "Status (Contacts)").
Post a status on iPhone
- Tap Updates at the bottom.
- Tap My Status or the camera icon (photo/video) or pencil icon (text).
- Add your content and tap send.
Choose who can see your status
- In Updates, tap ⋮ › Status privacy (Android) or tap My Status / the three dots › Privacy (iPhone). It is also in Settings › Privacy › Status.
- Pick one:
My contacts: all saved contacts who also saved you.
My contacts except...: everyone except the people you tick.
Only share with...: only the people you tick. - Tap the tick or Done. The change applies to new statuses, not ones already posted.
Only people who have your number saved can see your status. A stranger who doesn't have you in their contacts can't see it.
See who viewed it
Open My status and tap your status, then swipe up or tap the eye icon. You see the list of viewers. If you or the viewer turned off Read receipts in privacy settings, views are not shown (see privacy settings).
Delete a status
- Android: Updates › tap ⋮ next to My status (or press and hold your status) › select it › bin icon › Delete.
- iPhone: tap My Status, swipe left on the update, or open it and tap the three dots › Delete.
Mute someone's status
Press and hold their status in Updates › Mute. Their updates move to the bottom and stop showing at the top. They are not told.
If it doesn't work
- A friend can't see your status: both of you must have each other's numbers saved, and they must not be excluded in your status privacy.
- You can't see a friend's status: they may have hidden it from you, or you muted them (check the Muted updates list).
- Video is cut: long videos are split into parts, and very long videos are trimmed.
Safety tip
Don't post your exact location, tickets, boarding passes, ID cards or bank details on status. Thieves and scammers watch statuses too. Use Only share with... for family photos.
This is GroupChatOn’s own easy guide. We are not WhatsApp and are not linked with WhatsApp or Meta. WhatsApp sometimes changes its menus: if a button looks different on your phone, update WhatsApp from the Play Store or App Store.
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