WhatsApp allows you to set privacy options for your status updates so you can choose who can view them. By default, your status is visible to all of your contacts. However, you can change this in your privacy settings to hide your status from specific contacts while leaving it visible to everyone else.
Understanding WhatsApp Status Privacy Settings
WhatsApp provides three main status privacy options:
- My Contacts – Your status updates are visible to all of your contacts
- My Contacts Except – Your status updates are visible to all contacts except those you exclude
- Only Share With – You select specific contacts who can view your status updates
“My Contacts Except” allows you to hide your status from certain contacts while leaving it visible to everyone else. This gives you granular control over who can see your updates.
Steps to Set “My Contacts Except” for WhatsApp Status
Follow these steps to configure “My Contacts Except” status privacy in WhatsApp:
- Open WhatsApp and tap on the More options (three dots) menu.
- Select Settings > Account > Privacy.
- Tap on Status.
- Choose the “My Contacts Except” option.
- You will see a list of all your contacts. Tap on the contacts you want to exclude from seeing your status updates.
- A check mark will appear next to the contacts you select. Tap Done when finished.
- Your status updates will now be visible to all your contacts except those you excluded.
Things to Know About “My Contacts Except”
- You can add or remove contacts from the exceptions list anytime.
- Excluded contacts will still be able to send you messages and call you as normal.
- If you remove a contact from the exceptions list, your current and previous status updates will become visible to them again.
- Contacts you exclude won’t be notified about the change. Your status will simply disappear from their view.
- Disappearing messages still work as intended. Excluded contacts can’t see your status at all.
Why Use “My Contacts Except”?
Here are some common reasons to use the “My Contacts Except” status privacy setting:
- Hide status from specific people – You may want to hide your status updates from certain contacts like colleagues, acquaintances, etc.
- Avoid distractions – Hiding your status from some people can help reduce distractions at work or school.
- Maintain boundaries – You can hide your status from contacts you wish to maintain some distance from.
- Personal preference – You may simply feel more comfortable sharing your status updates with only certain contacts.
How to Know Who Can’t See Your Status
Since excluded contacts are not notified, how can you know which of your contacts can’t view your status updates?
There are a couple ways to find out:
- Check your status privacy settings – The contacts listed under “My Contacts Except” are blocked from your status.
- Ask contacts if they can see your status – Directly ask specific contacts if they can view your status updates.
- Use a second account – Add your main account as a contact using a secondary WhatsApp account. Check if your status is visible from the second account.
Troubleshooting Problems
Here are some solutions for common issues when using “My Contacts Except”:
- Excluded contact can still see status – Make sure you correctly selected them under status privacy settings. Refresh and check again.
- Want to exclude multiple new contacts – You can only add one contact to exceptions list at a time. Add them individually.
- Accidentally excluded someone – Go back to status privacy settings and uncheck the contact you want to remove from the exceptions list.
- Can’t see someone else’s status who should not have excluded you – They may have excluded all contacts. Ask them to confirm if they blocked you specifically.
Other WhatsApp Status Privacy Options
In addition to “My Contacts Except”, WhatsApp provides two other main status privacy options:
- My Contacts – This shares your status with all saved contacts, which is the default setting.
- Only Share With – This lets you pick specific contacts to share status with. All other contacts will be excluded.
You can switch between these options anytime. The choice depends on whether you want to allow access to a few contacts or disable access to a few.
Customize Profile Photo Privacy
Along with status, you can also configure who can see your WhatsApp profile photo:
- Go to Settings > Account > Privacy > Profile photo.
- Choose from – Everyone, My Contacts, or Only Share With specific contacts.
This lets you selectively hide your profile photo while leaving your status visible to more contacts, and vice versa.
Set Disappearing Message Timers
Additional privacy can be achieved by enabling disappearing messages:
- Open any chat and tap on contact’s name.
- Select Disappearing messages.
- Choose a duration after which messages will disappear.
This will automatically delete old messages and media after the set timer expires. It adds an extra layer of privacy.
Block Contacts
You can completely block contacts from viewing your profile, status and messaging you:
- Go to Settings > Account > Privacy > Blocked.
- Tap Add and select the contact to block.
Blocking should only be done for contacts you want to fully restrict. Use “My Contacts Except” for contacts you just want to hide status from.
Limitations of WhatsApp Status Privacy
While WhatsApp status privacy is useful, some limitations exist:
- Excluded contacts can still see when you come online and view messages.
- Status privacy does not extend to calls. All contacts see your info in calls.
- Your last seen time is visible to all contacts regardless of settings.
- You have no privacy if contacts screenshot your status before it disappears.
- Third-party apps may bypass restrictions if they access WhatsApp data.
Despite limitations, status privacy options provide decent control over who views your updates. Use wisely depending on your preferences.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do excluded contacts get notified if I hide my status from them?
No, WhatsApp does not notify contacts when you hide your status from them specifically. The status simply stops being visible to excluded contacts.
2. Can I temporarily disable “My Contacts Except”?
Yes, you can temporarily change the status privacy setting back to “My Contacts” for certain duration before reverting to “My Contacts Except”.
3. Is there a limit to how many contacts I can exclude?
No, there is no limit on the number of contacts you can exclude from your status privacy “My Contacts Except” list.
4. Can I use this setting on WhatsApp Business?
Yes, the “My Contacts Except” status privacy setting is available in WhatsApp Business as well.
5. Can excluded contacts tell I’ve hidden my status from them?
No, there is no way for excluded contacts to definitively know you have used “My Contacts Except” unless you directly tell them.