Your WhatsApp status is visible to all your contacts by default. The only people who can’t see your status are contacts you have blocked or who have blocked you.
Overview of WhatsApp Status
The WhatsApp status feature allows users to share text, photos, videos and GIFs that disappear after 24 hours. It’s similar to the stories feature on other social media platforms like Instagram and Snapchat.
When you post a new status update, it will be broadcast to all your WhatsApp contacts. They will see your profile photo ringed with a colorful ring in the chat lists and status tab, indicating you have an active status update.
Who Can See Your WhatsApp Status
By default, your WhatsApp status is visible to all your contacts who have your phone number saved in their address book. This includes:
- Two-way contacts – People you have chatted with on WhatsApp before.
- One-way contacts – People who have your number saved, but you don’t have theirs.
- Contacts who are not on WhatsApp at all.
Whenever you post a new status, it will be pushed to all these contacts. They can view your status updates by tapping on your profile photo in the chat list or status tab.
Exceptions
There are two exceptions where your status won’t be seen by specific contacts:
- Blocked contacts – If you block someone, they will no longer be able to see your profile photo, last seen or status.
- You are blocked – If someone blocks you, you will no longer see their status updates.
Changing Who Can See Your Status
WhatsApp allows you to tweak the privacy settings for your status updates. You can limit visibility to select contacts instead of your entire address book. Here are the options:
Everyone
This is the default setting. Your status will be visible to all your contacts except blocked users.
My Contacts
Only the contacts saved in your phone’s address book can see your status update. One-way contacts who have your number but you don’t have theirs will not be able to see it.
My Contacts Except…
Lets you exclude specific contacts while still allowing your other contacts to view your status.
Only Share With…
Restricts your status updates to only those users you select. Your status will not be visible to any other contacts.
Seeing Who Viewed Your Status
Unlike Instagram and Facebook stories, WhatsApp does not show you a list of users who have viewed your status updates.
This is by design to protect user privacy. WhatsApp cannot disclose the identities of who viewed your status without infringing on user privacy expectations.
Tips for Using WhatsApp Status
Here are some tips to keep in mind when using WhatsApp status:
- Be thoughtful about what you share. Anything you post as a status can potentially be seen by all your contacts.
- Use privacy settings if you only want to share statuses with select contacts.
- There is no way to tell who specifically has viewed your status updates.
- Status updates only last 24 hours, so keep them relevant and timely.
- You can preview your status before posting to check how it will appear.
- Viewing someone’s status marks it as “seen.” They can’t tell it was you, but the view counter goes up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I hide my status from specific contacts?
Yes, you can use the “My contacts except…” privacy option to exclude certain contacts from seeing your status.
Can I see who viewed my WhatsApp status?
No, WhatsApp does not reveal who has viewed your status updates due to privacy reasons.
Do deleted contacts see my status updates?
No, deleted contacts are automatically removed from your contacts list, so they will no longer be able to view your status.
Can I post a status if my last seen is hidden?
Yes, you can still post status updates even if you’ve hidden your last seen timestamp from contacts.
Do one-way contacts see my status?
Yes, one-way contacts who have your number saved see your status by default. You can exclude them by changing to “My Contacts” only in settings.
Can I post without sharing to my status updates feed?
No, any status update you post will automatically go to your profile status feed visible to your contacts.
How many people can view my status at once?
There is no set limit. Any number of your contacts can view your active status update at the same time.
Conclusion
Your WhatsApp status updates are visible by all your contacts by default. Blocked contacts and contacts who have blocked you are the only exceptions. While you can’t see who has viewed your status, you can limit visibility using the status privacy settings.