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WhatsApp status: What it is and how to use it
Social media has created an obsession with everyone’s “status” — what are you doing right now? Since Facebook owns WhatsApp, it stands to reason that it wouldn’t take long for the status feature to also make its way to WhatsApp eventually. So what does the WhatsApp status feature look like, and how do you get your breakfast onto it?
QUICK ANSWER
To see and view someone's WhatsApp status, go to the WhatsApp mobile app and tap on the Updates tab. If any of your contacts have made a recent status update, it will appear here. Just tap on it to view it. On the desktop and web browser versions of WhatsApp, click the broken circle logo next to your profile picture at the top-left to view someone's status.
JUMP TO KEY SECTIONS
Editor’s note: We used a Google Pixel 7 Pro running Android 13, an iPhone 12 Mini running iOS 16.3.1, and a custom Windows computer running Windows 11. Some steps may differ, depending on your specific hardware and software.
What is a WhatsApp status?
First, though, we should explain what a status is. On WhatsApp, it can be a picture or video of what you’re doing, what you’re thinking, or something you’ve seen. It differs slightly from Facebook Stories and Instagram Stories in that the latter two are more feature-rich, including being able to “like” the status/story and leave comments.
Now that you know what WhatsApp statuses are all about, it’s time to learn how to use view them and create your own.
How to use WhatsApp status on Android
Let’s start with Android, shall we? Of course, the first thing you’ll want to try is viewing some of your contacts’ status updates on WhatsApp. Just launch WhatsApp, hit the Status tab, and all your contacts’ updates should be here. As you can see, my buds are pretty quiet right now.
How to see other people’s WhatsApp status updates on Android
- Launch WhatsApp.
- Tap on the Updates tab.
- All WhatsApp status updates will show up here.
How to update your WhatsApp status on Android
- Launch WhatsApp.
- Tap on the Updates tab.
- Tap on your profile picture on the left side of My status.
- Shoot your image, video, or pick media from your library.
- You can now edit your content.
- Hit Send when done.
How to delete your WhatsApp status on Android
- Launch WhatsApp.
- Tap on the Updates tab.
- Press My status.
- Tap on the three vertical dots button next to your status.
- Select Delete.
- Confirm by hitting Delete again.
How to use WhatsApp status on iPhone
How to see other people’s WhatsApp status updates on iPhone:
- Launch WhatsApp.
- Tap on the Status tab.
- All WhatsApp status updates will show up here.
Update your WhatsApp status on iPhone
- Launch WhatsApp.
- Tap on the Status tab.
- Tap on My Status.
- Shoot your image, video, or pick media from your library.
- You can now edit your content.
- Hit Send when done.
How to delete your WhatsApp status on iPhone
- Launch WhatsApp.
- Tap on the Status tab.
- Tap on the status you want to delete.
- Tap on the three dots menu button.
- Select Delete.
- Confirm by hitting Delete 1 Status Update.
What about using WhatsApp status on the web?
If you’re using WhatsApp Web, you can only view status updates. You can’t create these using your computer.
- Simply launch WhatsApp Web.
- Click on the broken circle next to your profile image in the top-left panel. All the WhatsApp status updates will show up here.
- Click My Status to see your status.
FAQs
Twenty-four hours, then it disappears (unless you delete it sooner, obviously).
No, once it’s gone, it’s gone.
There doesn’t seem to be an iPhone solution, but on Android :
- Download Google Files.
- Tap on the menu icon at the top left corner of the app.
- Tap on Settings and toggle on Show hidden files.
- Go to the File Manager of your device. Then navigate to Internal storage > WhatsApp > Media > Statuses.
- All the statuses you have viewed will show in this folder. Tap on the desired image or video. Long press on the selected item and save it to your desired location on the device.
Alternatively, see if the contact has synced the status to their Facebook account. You may be able to download it there.
You need to change your privacy settings in advance so your last seen status is not viewable. You can also go offline on the mobile app and watch it, but your contact will be notified once you go online again. A third option is using WhatsApp Web to view the status update offline in Incognito Mode. But be sure to close the window before reconnecting to the Internet.
WhatsApp says on its Help pages that the maximum length of a status video is 30 seconds.