The quick answer is you can save your WhatsApp status stories by taking a screenshot, screen recording your story, or using third party apps. WhatsApp does not have a built-in save option for status stories like it does for chat messages, so you’ll need to use workarounds.
Take a screenshot
The easiest way to save your WhatsApp status story is to take a screenshot. Here’s how:
- Open WhatsApp and tap on your profile picture in the top left corner.
- In your profile page, tap “Status” at the top.
- View your current status story.
- To take a screenshot, press the Volume Down and Power buttons simultaneously on an Android phone. On an iPhone, press the Side and Volume Up buttons at the same time.
- The screenshot will be saved to your phone’s gallery.
Taking a screenshot lets you quickly save a still image of your status. However, it won’t save the actual video file of your status story. For that, you’ll need to screen record.
Screen record your status
Screen recording your WhatsApp status is another easy way to save it. Here are the steps:
- Make sure screen recording is enabled on your phone. On Android, you can use the built-in screen recorder in settings. On iPhone, enable screen recording in the Control Center.
- Open WhatsApp and go to your status story like before.
- Swipe down from the top of your screen and tap the screen record icon. This will start recording your phone’s screen.
- Let your status story play through completely while recording.
- Stop the screen recording. The video will be saved to your phone’s gallery.
Screen recording gives you a video file of your status that you can replay anytime. The quality may not be as high as the original, but it gets the job done.
Use a third party app
If you want more options for saving your status story, using a third party app is a good choice. Here are some top apps to try:
WhatsApp Status Saver
This Android app lets you download videos and photos from any WhatsApp status. After installing it, open the app and grant the required permissions. Tap on a status story to save it. The files will be saved to your phone storage.
Status Saver
Status Saver is another Android app that can download statuses and stories from WhatsApp and other social media apps. Launch the app, choose WhatsApp, and tap on a status to save it. You can save photos, videos, and GIFs.
WAStatus Saver
This is one of the most popular WhatsApp status savers on Android. After installing, open the app and it will automatically detect statuses from your WhatsApp contacts. Tap on one to save it. You can also save statuses without having to download the app using the website wastatus.net.
StatusSaver for WhatsApp
For iPhone users, StatusSaver is a great choice to save statuses from WhatsApp. After installing, open the app and it will list all your contacts’ statuses. Tap on one to save it to your camera roll. You can save photos, videos, and GIFs.
Save chat statuses
In addition to the main status story that disappears after 24 hours, WhatsApp also has chat statuses that update your status within specific chats. Here’s how to save these:
- Open a WhatsApp chat where you have a customized status.
- Tap on your chat status at the top.
- Take a screenshot to save any photo status.
- To save a video status, screen record the chat window while the video plays.
This will let you save chat statuses even after they disappear from the chat.
Save viewed statuses
If you want to save a status story posted by one of your WhatsApp contacts, you have a couple options:
- Screen record the status while viewing it in WhatsApp.
- Use a third party status saver app like the ones mentioned above. They can detect all statuses from your contacts.
- On Android, you may be able to find the status files in the WhatsApp/Media folder on your phone’s internal storage. Media is organized by date and sender.
However, there is no guarantee you’ll be able to directly access status files stored by WhatsApp.
Retrieve expired statuses
Once your own status story expires after 24 hours, there is no built-in way to retrieve it on WhatsApp. Your only options are:
- If you saved it using one of the methods above while it was still active.
- On Android, check the Media folder on internal storage to see if an expired status file still exists.
- Use WhatsApp cloud backup restore to get back statuses from the last backup.
For other people’s expired statuses, you won’t be able retrieve them unless you had already saved them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does WhatsApp have an option to save statuses?
No, unlike chat messages which can be starred to save, WhatsApp currently does not have a built-in option to save status updates. You have to rely on workarounds like screenshots and third party apps.
Can I save statuses without letting the sender know?
Yes, using any of the saving methods mentioned above will not notify the sender. Taking a screenshot, screen recording, or using a saver app to save statuses happens privately on your phone.
Will my contacts see if I screenshot or screen record their status?
No, WhatsApp’s privacy policy does not allow it to monitor screenshots or screen recordings taken on your device. Your contacts have no way of knowing if you saved their status.
Is there a WhatsApp web version to save statuses?
No, WhatsApp web does not currently support viewing or saving statuses. You can only see statuses on the mobile app, not on web or desktop.
Can I recover expired statuses from years ago?
Unfortunately no. Once a status expires after 24 hours, there is no way to recover it unless you had manually saved it earlier. WhatsApp does not store old statuses.
Will my saved status have the same quality as the original?
Screen recordings and third party downloads won’t be the exact same quality as the original. But they will be good enough to replay and see the visuals. Image and video compression may cause some loss of quality.
Conclusion
While WhatsApp still doesn’t allow officially saving statuses, there are plenty of handy workarounds like screenshots, screen recording, and third party apps. Using these tricks, you can safely save both your own statuses as well as those posted by your contacts. Just make sure not to misuse saved statuses or share them without consent where applicable.