The quickest way to add a status on WhatsApp directly from your phone’s gallery is to open WhatsApp, tap on the Status tab, tap on the camera icon and select the image or video you want to use from your gallery. This will instantly upload it as your new status.
Step-by-step guide
Here is a more detailed step-by-step guide on how to add a status in WhatsApp from your phone’s gallery:
- Open WhatsApp on your phone.
- Tap on the Status tab at the top of the screen. This is next to the Calls and Chats tabs.
- Tap on the camera icon at the bottom of the screen. It’s the circular icon in the middle.
- This will open up your phone’s camera. But instead of taking a photo, swipe left on your screen.
- This will open up your gallery. Browse and select the image or video you want to use as your status.
- Once selected, WhatsApp will instantly upload this as your new status.
- You can now edit and customize your status.
- Tap on the icons at the top to add text, stickers or drawings to the status.
- You can also trim longer videos to 30 seconds by adjusting the slider at the bottom.
- When done, tap on the check mark at the bottom right to share your new status.
Choosing the right media for status
WhatsApp allows you to set a photo or video from your gallery as your status. However, there are some limits on the type of media you can use:
- Photos and videos can be up to 16MB in size.
- Videos must be 30 seconds or less. Longer videos will be automatically trimmed.
- Landscape orientation photos and videos will be cropped to fit as your status.
- HEIC photo files need to be converted to JPEG before uploading.
- GIFs are not directly supported but can be uploaded as videos.
In most cases, landscape photos or horizontal videos don’t work very well as your small profile status. It’s better to use photos and videos in portrait orientation.
For best results, aim to use recent high-quality photos and short videos that convey your personal status and updates.
Customizing your status
Once you’ve added a photo or video from your gallery to WhatsApp Status, you can customize it by:
- Adding text – Click on the T icon at the top and simply type out whatever you want.
- Adding stickers – Tap on the stickers icon and choose from an array of options.
- Drawing or doodling – Select the pen icon to draw directly on the status.
- Adjusting color saturation and brightness – Use the slider to find the right effect.
- Trimming longer videos – Drag the ends of the slider at the bottom to set the 30 second length.
This allows you to add your own creative touch and personalize your status further before sharing it. You can be as creative as you want in customizing gallery media to use as your status!
Sharing your status
Once you’ve customized and finalized your status from the gallery, tap the check mark at the bottom right to share it.
This will instantly set the status photo or video as your active status on WhatsApp!
By default, your status is visible to all your WhatsApp contacts. But you can change who can see your status in WhatsApp settings.
In Settings > Account > Privacy, tap on Status and select if you want your status visible to Everyone, My Contacts, or Specific contacts.
Status visibility and privacy
It’s important to be mindful of what you share as your public status on WhatsApp. While statuses automatically disappear after 24 hours, they can be screenshotted or recorded.
Avoid posting any status content that is:
- Embarrassing or very personal in nature
- Offensive, abusive or inappropriate
- In violation of someone else’s privacy or copyright
Especially avoid sharing statuses that reveal:
- Your real-time location
- Personal contact details like phone number or email
- Confidential information
- Details that compromise your security
To be safe, restrict your status visibility only to contacts you know or trust. Never make your status visible to Anyone or Public.
Status preview before sharing
Before uploading any photo or video from your gallery as a status, WhatsApp lets you preview how it will look.
Preview your status to ensure that:
- The image/video appears good cropped in a circular shape
- The length of the video is 30 seconds or under
- Any text or stickers you’ve added appear properly
- You are comfortable sharing the status publicly
The preview allows you to make edits if needed. Always preview and verify before sharing any status.
Using third-party apps to download and re-share status
Apart from WhatsApp’s official way to share status from the gallery, there are also third-party apps that let you download and re-share others’ statuses.
However, many of these apps violate WhatsApp’s terms of service and can compromise your security and privacy.
Avoid using apps like:
- WhatsApp Status Saver
- Status Saver for Whatsapp
- WA Status Downloader
- Status Downloader for WhatsApp
Instead, respect your contacts’ privacy. Don’t download or share their statuses without consent.
Troubleshooting tips
If you are unable to set a status from your phone’s gallery, try the following tips:
- Confirm WhatsApp has permission to access your phone’s media
- Check if the file size is under 16MB
- For videos, ensure length is under 30 seconds
- Portrait orientation works better than landscape
- HEIC images need conversion to JPEG first
- Clear WhatsApp cache and data and re-login if issue persists
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can’t I add some videos from gallery as status?
WhatsApp limits video statuses to 30 seconds. So if your video is longer than 30 seconds, it cannot be added directly. You will need to first trim or cut the video on your phone’s gallery to 30 seconds or less before using it as a status.
Can I add multiple photos as a single status?
Unfortunately no, WhatsApp does not allow you to add multiple photos from your gallery in one status. Each status can only contain a single image or video.
Can I use the same photo on WhatsApp DP and status?
Yes, you can absolutely use the same photo from your phone’s gallery as both your WhatsApp profile picture (DP) as well as your status picture. There are no limitations on reusing the same media.
Is there a size limit for status photos?
Yes, any photo you want to share as a WhatsApp status has a maximum size limit of 16MB. Photos larger than 16MB will need to be compressed or reduced in size before being able to upload.
Do Status images get saved in my WhatsApp gallery?
No, photos and videos that you upload as your status on WhatsApp do not get automatically saved in WhatsApp’s in-app media gallery for chats. They only remain visible as your status for 24 hours.