If you notice that someone’s status updates are not showing up on WhatsApp even though they are actively posting them, there are a few possible reasons for this. The most common reason is that the person has blocked you or restricted your ability to view their status updates specifically. However, there are some other potential causes as well that may be at play.
They blocked you
The most likely reason that you can’t see someone’s status is because they have blocked you on WhatsApp. When you are blocked by someone, you will no longer be able to see any of their status updates. You also won’t be able to see their profile photo, last seen timestamp, or send them any messages. The user has specifically restricted your ability to view any of their activity or interact with them on WhatsApp.
If you are blocked, the other person will still appear in your contacts list, but if you try to open their chat, all you will see is a message saying “You aren’t connected to this person on WhatsApp anymore. Ask NAME to add you again.” This indicates you are blocked and will no longer have access to view that person’s account or status updates.
They restricted who can view their status
In your WhatsApp privacy settings, you can choose to restrict who is able to view your status updates. The options are to allow status viewing from 1) everyone 2) my contacts only or 3) my contacts except… where you can exclude specific contacts. If someone has their settings configured to exclude you specifically from viewing their status, you will not see any of their updates.
This allows people to restrict status access on a more granular level rather than outright blocking someone. You can still send messages and see some profile information from restricted contacts, but will not have access to view any status updates.
Your account was deleted from their contacts
If the person you are trying to view status updates from has deleted your chat/contact from their WhatsApp contacts list, this will also result in you not being able to see their status. Removing your chat effectively cuts off the connection between you, restricting all communication and access to profile information including status.
In this case, your chat with the user will still be visible on your end with their name, but you won’t be able to see any updates or send messages. You may get an error saying “Messages to this chat and calls are now secured with end-to-end encryption…” indicating the chat is disconnected on their end.
You don’t have an active internet connection
Having an unstable or disconnected internet connection can also prevent WhatsApp status updates from loading. Without an active internet connection, you will not be able to refresh feeds or view new status updates from your contacts.
This could happen if you are in an area with poor reception or have turned on airplane mode. Try disconnecting and reconnecting to the internet or turning airplane mode on and off to refresh your connection. Once you have an active internet connection, new status updates from your contacts should load.
Their account was banned or deactivated
If someone’s WhatsApp account has been banned or deactivated by WhatsApp, you will no longer be able to see any status updates from them. Banned accounts are completely removed from WhatsApp, while deactivated accounts are temporarily disabled.
If an account is banned, the chat will disappear from your contacts list. With a deactivated account, you will see a notice in the chat saying “This user has deactivated their WhatsApp account.” In both cases, all account information and activity including status will be inaccessible.
Their phone number changed
If the contact in question has changed their phone number, their old account and status updates will no longer be accessible. WhatsApp accounts are tied to phone numbers, so when the number changes, it effectively creates a new account.
Any status updates from their old number will disappear. You would need to get their new phone number and add them as a contact again to view any current status updates.
It’s a glitch
In some cases, a bug or glitch in WhatsApp may be preventing a specific person’s status from showing. Things like outdated app versions, software issues, or connection problems could block access to someone’s status for you but no one else.
Try force closing and restarting the WhatsApp app as well as your phone to see if this fixes any glitches. Make sure you also have the latest version of WhatsApp installed. If it persists, try uninstalling and reinstalling the app to refresh the cache and data.
Their account privacy settings changed
If someone updated their WhatsApp privacy settings, this could also impact your ability to view their status. They may have changed options like hiding their last seen, profile photo, about info from you specifically. Status settings may have been updated as well.
Check your own account’s privacy settings to see if any options like “Who can see my personal info” or “Who can see my status” have been changed. Toggle the settings off and back on to reset them.
You don’t share a WhatsApp group
In order for you to view someone’s status updates, you need to have each other’s phone numbers saved in your contacts. However, even if you have their number saved but don’t share a WhatsApp group with that person, there can be issues viewing their status.
This is because WhatsApp’s encryption relies on users having shared group keys. Try adding the person to a WhatsApp group to resolve this. You can leave the group after being added, but it will facilitate sharing of keys needed for you to view their status updates.
Their phone is offline
If the person you are trying to view status updates from has turned off their phone or has it switched to airplane mode, their status will show an error message saying it’s unavailable. Their last seen will show as “long ago ago” as well.
This is normal when a contact’s phone is powered off and does not necessarily indicate you are blocked. Try checking again later when their device is back online to see if their status updates reappear as expected.
How to troubleshoot missing status updates
If you aren’t seeing someone’s WhatsApp status updates, here are some troubleshooting steps you can take:
- Force close and restart the WhatsApp app
- Update WhatsApp to the latest version
- Turn airplane mode on and off to refresh your internet connection
- Uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp to clear cached data
- Check your privacy settings haven’t been changed
- Ask the contact to add you to a WhatsApp group
- Verify the contact hasn’t deleted you from their contacts list
- Check if the status says “unavailable” indicating their phone is off
If none of these basic troubleshooting steps restore access to their status updates, they likely have you blocked, restricted or deactivated their account. The only way to get their status updates back is to have that user unblock or reset your access. There is no workaround if they intend to prevent you from seeing their WhatsApp status activity.
What to do if you’re blocked
If you confirm that someone has blocked you and that’s why you can’t see their status, there are very limited options. Since they intentionally restricted you, restoring access is at their discretion.
You can try reaching out to the person through another channel asking them to unblock you. Some options are:
- Message or call them from a different phone
- Reach out via phone, email, social media
- Ask a mutual connection to intervene on your behalf
Aside from communicating your request to be unblocked, there is unfortunately no way to override someone’s block. WhatsApp’s security is designed to give users full control over who interacts with their account.
If you are unsure why you were blocked in the first place, politely asking for details can help provide closure or clear up any misunderstandings. If the block was intentional, you will need to respect their decision and discontinue contact.
Prevent your status from being seen
If you want to prevent specific contacts from seeing your WhatsApp status, you have a few options:
- Block contacts: Blocking someone stops them from viewing your profile, last seen, and status.
- Restrict status viewing: Change settings to exclude specific contacts from status access.
- Turn off status sharing: Disable your status completely so it’s not visible to anyone.
- Use viewer limit: Share your status with only select contacts you choose.
Keep in mind when restricting status access, those contacts will know you’ve limited their viewing if you post a status update. They will see a preview message indicating your status is unavailable.
Conclusion
A WhatsApp contact’s status not showing up has a range of potential causes, but the most common reasons are being blocked, having status access restricted, or the user deactivated their account. Less likely possibilities include glitches, changed privacy settings, deleted contacts, and more.
If basic troubleshooting like updating WhatsApp, toggling airplane mode, or reinstalling the app don’t restore status access, they have likely blocked you specifically. Your only option then is to politely reach out and ask to be unblocked. Respect their decision if the block was intentional.