You can set a custom WhatsApp status that is visible to only one selected contact on iPhone. This allows you to send a private message or share something just with that person. Here is how to do it in a few simple steps.
Steps to set WhatsApp status for one person on iPhone
- Open WhatsApp on your iPhone and go to your profile/account page.
- Tap on “Status” at the top.
- Tap on the camera icon to capture a new photo/video or upload one from your gallery to set as your status.
- After selecting the photo/video, tap on “Next.”
- Now tap on the three dots (more options) icon at the top right.
- Select “Status Privacy” from the menu.
- Tap on “My Contacts Except…” option.
- This will open up your contacts list. Select the contact you want to exclude from seeing this status.
- Your status will now be visible to all contacts except the one(s) you excluded.
- Tap “Done” to finish setting the status.
That’s it! Your WhatsApp status is now set to be visible only to a single contact of your choice. Whenever you set a status this way, it will by default only be seen by that selected person.
Customizing status privacy
By default, your WhatsApp status is visible to all your contacts. But you can customize who sees your status updates and restrict access in different ways.
Status privacy options
- My Contacts – Your status will be visible to all your contacts by default.
- My Contacts Except… – Your status will be visible to all contacts except those you exclude.
- Only Share With… – Your status will only be visible to contacts you specifically select.
On iPhone, you can easily switch between these options each time you update your status. Just tap the three dots menu while posting a status and select status privacy to choose who can view it.
Always share status with specific contacts
Instead of manually customizing visibility each time, you can also set some contacts to always see your status updates.
- Go to WhatsApp Settings > Account > Privacy.
- Tap “Status > My Contacts Except…”
- Select the contacts you want to exclude from seeing your status permanently.
Now whenever you post a status, it will automatically be visible to all your contacts except these excluded ones. You can add or remove contacts from this list anytime.
Temporarily disabling status
If you want to temporarily stop sharing your status with anyone, you can disable it completely for a period of time.
- Go to WhatsApp Settings > Account > Privacy.
- Turn off “Status” altogether.
Your status will stop updating and you won’t be able to view anyone else’s status either during this time. Toggle it back on whenever you want to resume sharing status updates.
Tips for setting status for one person
- Check that you’ve saved the contact’s number in your iPhone’s address book and on WhatsApp before trying to set a status for them.
- Use text status instead of photos/videos if you want a more private message just for their eyes.
- Remember that the recipient can still take screenshots of your status even if they can’t forward it to anyone else.
- Set the status to expire after a short time if you want the message to disappear faster.
- Change your settings to hide your “Last Seen” time and profile picture from contacts you don’t want seeing your status.
Other WhatsApp status features
Viewing someone’s status
If a contact has shared their status with you, you can view it by:
- Opening their chat window.
- Tapping their profile picture at the top.
- View their latest status update under their name.
You can reply directly to a status update from here as well.
Status replies
If you want to reply to someone’s status, just swipe up on it to access the reply screen. Type out your message and send it as you normally would in WhatsApp.
Your reply will be sent as a private message to the person. Others who view their status won’t see your reply.
Forwarding status
Unlike regular messages, you cannot forward someone’s status update to other contacts on WhatsApp. This helps keep status private and personal.
However, you can still take a screenshot of a status and share the image. But this will only work if the status creator has allowed screenshots in their app settings.
Status privacy troubleshooting
If you can still view someone’s status even after they’ve excluded you, here are some things to check:
- Make sure they’ve spelled your name/number correctly in their contacts.
- Check that they selected “My Contacts Except…” and not “Only Share With…”
- See if you have each other’s numbers saved in your phones and WhatsApp contact lists.
- Ask them to double check their status privacy settings to confirm you’re excluded.
Conclusion
Setting a custom WhatsApp status for only one person lets you selectively share messages, photos, videos, and more. It’s easy to do on iPhone by tweaking your status privacy settings before posting. Restricting status access also helps you send more private updates.
Now you know how to set status for a single contact and customize exactly who gets to view your personal updates on WhatsApp!