WhatsApp has established itself as the most widely used instant messaging app worldwide. Thanks to its multiple features and ongoing privacy developments, it allows you to stay in touch quickly and securely. Since its inception, the app has allowed users to send messages, images, voice notes, documents, and make calls and video calls, positioning itself as an indispensable tool for both personal and professional purposes.
In one of its most relevant updates, WhatsApp included the States, a feature that allows you to share images, videos, texts, and even emojis or voice notes, showing snippets of your daily life that remain visible for 24 hours. While this feature is attractive and versatile, it also raises one of the biggest questions among users: How do I know who sees my WhatsApp status, especially in secret?
What are WhatsApp statuses and how do they work?
WhatsApp statuses are ephemeral updates. These allow you to share visual and textual content with your address book contacts, similar to stories on other social networks like Instagram or Facebook. Each status has a maximum duration of 24 hours and can contain images, videos, text messages, links, and even voice notes.
Only the contacts saved in your address book who also have your number registered They'll be able to see the statuses you post. Similarly, if you want to see a contact's statuses, both of you must have each other's numbers saved in your address books.
This feature is ideal for sharing moments of the day, news, important messages, or promotions (for businesses or companies), and allows you to control who can see your updates thanks to its privacy settings. It also offers the ability to delete statuses before they disappear on their own and to forward posted content to other contacts.
Privacy and control: Configure who can see your WhatsApp statuses
One of the most valued aspects of WhatsApp is the ability to configure status privacy so that only authorized persons can view them. There are several possible configurations:
- My contacts: All contacts saved in your address book can see your statuses.
- My contacts, except ... Allows you to select specific contacts you wish to exclude from your status updates.
- Just share with… Only the contacts you select will be able to access your statuses. This is the most restrictive and personalized option.
To access these options, you must go to Settings → Account → Privacy → Status. This way, you can change your settings at any time, although keep in mind that visibility only affects new statuses you post after the change.
It's also important to mention that if you don't want anyone to see your status, you can select the "Share only with..." option without adding any contacts, or "My contacts, except..." and select all your contacts. This way, your statuses will be hidden from everyone, and only you will have access to them.
How to know who sees your WhatsApp statuses?
One of the most frequently asked questions is How to identify who views the statuses you shareThe app makes this task easier by including a counter and a list of people who have viewed each of your statuses, both on Android and iOS devices, as well as on WhatsApp Web and the PC app.
- Open WhatsApp and go to the tab States.
- Select your current status (“My Status”).
- At the bottom of the screen, you will see a eye icon accompanied by a number. This number represents the number of times your status has been viewed.
- By tapping this icon, you'll see a detailed list of the names of contacts who have viewed your status and the exact time they did so (on iOS).
It is important to note that only those contacts that have the read receipt option activated will appear.If you've disabled this feature, or your contact has it disabled, you won't be able to see that person on your list even if they've viewed your status.
WhatsApp doesn't allow you to see details such as how many times someone has viewed your status (only the first view is recorded), or the exact time they spent viewing it. It also doesn't notify you if you take screenshots or record the content, or if your contacts have paused the status to view it for a longer period of time.
Is it possible to view WhatsApp statuses in secret?
Some users wish view your contacts' statuses without them receiving a notification or your name appears in the viewing list. This can be done in two main ways:
- Disable read receipts: Go to Settings → Account → Privacy and turn off "Read Receipts." This way, you'll be able to see other people's statuses hidden, but you'll also lose the ability to see who views your own statuses and won't receive read notifications on messages.
- Offline viewing: Go to the statuses tab to download them to your phone, then activate airplane mode or turn off mobile/WiFi. View the desired status and close the app completely before reconnecting. This way, your visit won't be recorded in the contact's status.
Both methods They have their limitations and possible drawbacksFor example, if you reactivate read receipts before the status disappears (24 hours), your viewing may be recorded. Additionally, this trick doesn't allow you to view statuses on a recurring basis, as it requires additional steps and may be impractical for everyday use.
Differences between viewing and hiding statuses on WhatsApp
WhatsApp relies on contact reciprocity to display statuses. This means you can only see the statuses of people you have saved in your address book, and who have also saved you as a contact. This ensures a double privacy level and prevents strangers from accessing your updates.
In terms of privacy, WhatsApp doesn't allow you to make your statuses public to anyone outside your circle of contacts, unlike your profile picture or account information. Currently, there's no setting to share WhatsApp statuses with everyone, only with your mutual contact list.
On the other hand, it is possible hide your statuses from certain contacts Using the privacy options mentioned above, this feature is especially useful if you use the same number for work and personal life, or if you prefer to segment the information you share with different groups.
What happens if you see someone's status that you haven't saved or vice versa?
A common question is whether someone can see your status even if you don't have it in your address book, or whether you can see the status of someone who doesn't have you saved.
- For someone to see your status, must have your number saved and you must have theirs saved in your calendar.
- You can't see the statuses of people who aren't on your contacts list, nor can they see yours.
Thanks to this system, WhatsApp provides greater security and control about the scope of what you share.
Limitations and restrictions on who can see your WhatsApp status
Despite the privacy options, there are some Limitations that prevent you from knowing 100% who sees your statuses:
- Read receipt disabled: When you or your contact disable this feature, viewing your status is not recorded, so that person will never appear in your viewed list even if they have viewed your status.
- Reciprocity of contacts: As mentioned before, both must have each other on the agenda for the system to function properly.
- There is no official option to see how many times or how long a person has viewed a status.. Only the first view of each contact will be displayed.
- It does not record if a screenshot is taken, nor does it notify you.
Therefore, You can't know with absolute certainty who is viewing your WhatsApp status in secret mode.You'll only be completely sure if you receive a direct comment from that person about your status, as that confirms they've seen it, even if their name doesn't appear on your list.
Myths and facts about third-party apps and tricks to know who sees your statuses
There are many on the Internet third-party apps and tools that promise to reveal who has secretly viewed your WhatsApp statuses, or how many times they've done so. It's essential to understand that:
- WhatsApp does not allow access to this information through external applications..
- Apps that make this promise often request dangerous permissions, such as access to your contacts, messages, or files, and can put your privacy and that of your contacts at risk.
- Many of these apps may contain malware, generate spam, collect your data for sale, or expose you to the risk of phishing and identity theft.
Avoid installing any app that promises to reveal information that WhatsApp already protects by design. If you want to learn more about managing your privacy on WhatsApp, check out our recommendations at .
Additional tips and tricks for managing your WhatsApp statuses
In addition to the official methods, there are some tips and good practices To make the most of the status feature and protect your privacy:
- View statuses secretly only at specific times: Disable confirmations only when you need them and turn them back on after 24 hours.
- Use airplane mode to view statuses without leaving a trace: Remember to close the app before reconnecting, so that the viewing is not recorded.
- Configure your privacy frequentlyIf you add new contacts or change your environment, check your settings to make sure you only want to share your statuses with the right people.
- Avoid sharing overly sensitive information, even on select lists.: Remember that your contacts can take screenshots or forward the content (even if they are not notified).
How to save, download, or archive WhatsApp statuses
If you want to keep statuses from other contacts, remember that WhatsApp does not inform the user if you take screenshots or screen recordings. Additionally, the statuses you view are temporarily downloaded to your device while you view them and stored in a hidden folder:
- Use a File Browser with the option to show hidden folders.
- Access the route WhatsAppMedia/.Statuses in your internal storage.
- From there, you can copy or save images and videos from statuses before they are automatically deleted after 24 hours.
This option only works for visual content, not text, and you must do this before WhatsApp deletes your temporarily stored files.
WhatsApp statuses for businesses and business accounts
In the case of WhatsApp Business, the status feature becomes very important as a sales and marketing tool. You can share news, promotions, catalogs, or relevant information for your customers. Additionally, statuses can be file to retrieve and reuse them later, which is especially useful for ongoing promotional strategies.
Privacy settings work the same as for personal accounts, so you can precisely choose who can see your business status. Take advantage of this feature to analyze your customer engagement and measure the reach of your campaigns.
WhatsApp statuses and other social networks: integration and differences
WhatsApp offers the possibility of share statuses directly on Facebook (if you so wish), although this option is disabled by default. Keep in mind that doing so will The privacy of your statuses will depend on the settings you have on Facebook., so you could reach a wider audience than you imagine.
- Facebook receives information such as language, browser, IP address, and what story comes from WhatsApp.
- Every time you share a status, Facebook receives the content, file type, and any associated comments.
Before activating this integration, review the policies and settings of both platforms to avoid sharing information beyond what you intend.
Advanced FAQs about WhatsApp statuses
- Can you tell if someone viewed your status more than once? No, WhatsApp only reports the first view of each user.
- Is it possible to know if you have been captured or recorded in a state? The app doesn't notify you about screenshots or recordings, so you can't tell.
- Are there any ways to view statuses of people you don't have saved? No, you need reciprocity in your contact list for this to be possible.
- What happens if I delete a status before 24 hours have passed? It will no longer be available to your contacts immediately.
WhatsApp statuses on different platforms: Android, iOS, and WhatsApp Web
The management and display of states is similar in all versions, but There are small differences to take into account:
- Android: Go to the Statuses tab, tap the posted status, and review the views using the eye icon.
- iOS: It follows the same process, except that you can display the time of each viewing.
- WhatsApp Web or PC: You can see who has viewed your statuses by clicking the eye icon, although some features (such as exact viewing time) may be limited compared to mobile devices.
Remember that synchronization is complete, so the data viewed on your computer will be the same as on your mobile.
WhatsApp offers you effective mechanisms to know who sees your statuses, but always within the privacy limits that the app itself establishes.There's no foolproof way to know who's secretly viewing your statuses if your contacts have opted to disable read receipts. Therefore, the best strategy is to carefully configure your privacy settings, share your statuses only with trusted people, and avoid using third-party apps to access information that WhatsApp deliberately restricts for security reasons. The status feature, when used properly, is a great ally for staying in touch and sharing moments in a secure and personalized way.
