Your WhatsApp status updates allow you to share photos, videos, and messages that disappear after 24 hours. By default, your status updates are visible to all of your WhatsApp contacts. However, you can control who gets to view your status updates and make them invisible to specific contacts if you wish.
Contacts who cannot see your WhatsApp status
There are several categories of contacts who will not be able to view your WhatsApp status updates:
- Contacts you have blocked – If you block a contact, they will no longer be able to see your profile photo, last seen, or status updates. Blocking cuts off all communication with that contact.
- Contacts who don’t have your phone number saved – If someone does not have your phone number saved in their contacts, they will not be able to see your status updates in WhatsApp.
- Contacts you don’t have added – Similarly, if you have not saved and added someone as a contact, your status updates will not be visible to them.
- Contacts who have blocked you – If someone has blocked you on WhatsApp, you will no longer be able to view their status updates.
- Non-contacts who are not in any common groups – People who are not your contacts and are not part of any WhatsApp groups you are in will not be able to see your status.
How to hide your status from specific contacts
While your status updates are visible to all contacts by default, WhatsApp does give you the option to customize your status privacy. You can hide your status from specific contacts as follows:
- Open WhatsApp and tap on the More options menu (three dots) at the top right.
- Select Settings > Account > Privacy.
- Tap on Status.
- You will then see a list of all your contacts. Tap on the contact you want to hide your status from.
- A toggle will appear next to their name. Tap it to disable status updates for that contact.
- Repeat this for each contact you want to hide your status from.
Once you hide your status from a contact, they will no longer be able to view any of your future status updates. Note that they can still send you messages and call you as normal.
Who can see your WhatsApp status?
Here is a summary of who can and cannot view your WhatsApp status updates:
- All contacts – By default, any contact who has your phone number saved can see your status updates.
- Non-contacts in common groups – People who are not your direct contacts but are in WhatsApp groups with you can also view your status.
- Blocked contacts – Blocked contacts cannot see your status updates.
- Hidden status contacts – Contacts you have specifically hidden your status from will not see updates.
- Contacts who don’t have your number – Strangers who do not have your number cannot see your status.
So in summary, your status privacy depends on your contact list and settings. The only people who cannot view your status are those you block, hide it from, or who don’t have your number saved. Everyone else will be able to see your status updates.
Seeing who views your WhatsApp status
WhatsApp allows you to see exactly who has viewed your status updates. This can help you identify contacts who may be trying to stalk you or view your status without your knowledge. Here is how to see status viewers on WhatsApp:
- Post a new status update as normal.
- After some time, open WhatsApp and tap on your profile picture.
- Next to your name, tap on the text saying “viewed by…”
- This will open up a list of all contacts who have viewed your status update.
The list will show you each contact’s profile picture and name. You can tap on a contact to send them a message right from this screen. This list gets updated in real-time as more people view your status.
Note that this only shows you who has viewed your most recent status update. Once you post a new status, the view counter gets reset. You cannot see a history of everyone who has ever viewed your status updates.
Hiding your online status and last seen
In addition to your status updates, you can also control who gets to see your online and last seen status in WhatsApp. Just like status privacy, you can choose to hide your online and last seen time from specific contacts or no one at all. Here is how to do it:
- Open WhatsApp Settings.
- Tap Account > Privacy.
- Tap on Last Seen and Online.
- Select an option – Everyone, My Contacts, My Contacts Except…, or Nobody.
- Tap on contacts to hide your online status from them.
This will prevent chosen contacts from being able to see when you were last online or if you’re currently online on WhatsApp. You can use this setting in conjunction with status privacy for better control over your availability.
Disadvantages of hiding your WhatsApp status
While status privacy gives you more control, there are some downsides to hiding your status updates:
- You will not be able to see the status updates of contacts who have hidden their status from you.
- Friends may feel you are ignoring them if you hide your status from them.
- Hiding your status can raise suspicions in some contacts.
- It can be perceived as rude or antisocial behavior in certain cultures.
Therefore, think twice beforecompletely hiding your status. Finding the right balance is advisable. You can choose to be selective and only hide it from contacts you are not comfortable sharing details with.
What happens when you hide your status
When you hide your WhatsApp status from specific contacts:
- They will not be able to view any of your future status updates.
- They will see “This user’s updates are not visible” instead of your status.
- You can continue chatting with them as normal.
- You will not be notified if they take a screenshot of your status.
- They will still be able to call and message you.
So in essence, status privacy only prevents chosen contacts from seeing your status updates. It does not affect any other communication on WhatsApp.
Conclusion
Your WhatsApp status is visible to all contacts by default. However, you can customize status privacy and hide your updates from specific people as needed. Just go to WhatsApp Settings > Account > Privacy > Status and tap on each contact to exclude them.
Status privacy gives you more control over who can get insight into your availability and updates. Use it selectively for contacts you want to hide your activity from. Keep in mind hiding your status can also have social ramifications in certain contexts.