Visibility control
Who Can See My WhatsApp Status, Photo & About
Your status updates, profile photo and About each have their own audience control. Set them to My Contacts, Except selected people, or Only Share With — and check who actually made your list.
Set up my status privacyYour account only
Every step manages your own status, photo and About — never anyone else's.
No passwords involved
Privacy settings live in your own app; we never ask for credentials or codes.
Built-in WhatsApp controls
We only use official Settings > Privacy options, nothing third-party.
WhatsApp cannot show 'who viewed your profile' — ignore any app or site that promises it.
Three surfaces you control — plus who's watching
Status updates
Choose the audience for the 24-hour status you post.
Profile photo
Limit who sees your avatar to contacts or a chosen list.
About text
Restrict who reads your About line the same three ways.
Status view list
See who opened your status — and where that list stops.
Each surface is set separately: locking one does not change the others.
📷 Status Privacy Three Options
My Contacts vs Except vs Only Share With
Settings > Privacy > Status gives you three audience modes.
- My Contacts: everyone in your address book who has you saved back
- My Contacts Except…: hide status from specific people you pick
- Only Share With…: an allow-list — only the people you choose see it
📷 Profile Photo About Privacy
Photo and About have their own switches
Privacy > Profile Photo and Privacy > About each offer Everyone, My Contacts, or Nobody.
- Set Profile Photo to My Contacts so strangers can't pull your avatar
- About and photo are not tied to your status setting
- Choosing Nobody shows a blank placeholder to others
📷 Status Viewers Eye Icon
Check who viewed your status — and its limits
Open your posted status and tap the eye icon to see viewers.
- Read receipts must be on for you to see the viewer list
- The list only covers status, not your profile or About
- There is no reliable 'who viewed my profile' — any app claiming it is a scam
FAQ
Who can see my WhatsApp status by default?
By default, status is set to My Contacts — everyone saved in your address book who also has your number can see it. Open Settings > Privacy > Status to narrow that to an Except list or an Only Share With allow-list.
What's the difference between 'Except' and 'Only Share With'?
'My Contacts Except…' starts with all your contacts and removes the people you pick (a block-list). 'Only Share With…' starts with nobody and adds only the people you tick (an allow-list). Use Only Share With when you want a small, tight audience.
Can someone see my status if I don't have them saved?
Status visibility is governed only by your Status privacy setting (My Contacts / Except / Only Share With). Only people you have saved as contacts — and who fall inside your chosen audience — can see it, and someone must also have you saved to appear at all. Being in a group with you does not expose your status. For the tightest control, use Only Share With to name exactly who sees each update.
Can I tell who actually viewed my status?
For status only: open your posted update and tap the eye icon to see viewers. This works only if read receipts are on for both you and the viewer. There is no way to see who looked at your profile photo or About — any app claiming a 'profile viewer' feature is a scam.
Does hiding my status also hide my profile photo?
No. Status, Profile Photo and About are three separate controls. Set each one under Settings > Privacy. Locking your status does nothing to your photo unless you also change Profile Photo to My Contacts or Nobody.