WhatsApp video status has become a popular way for people to share short video updates with their contacts. When someone posts a new status, it appears at the top of your chat lists with a colorful ring around their profile picture. Tapping on their status plays the video. By default, WhatsApp shows who has viewed your status updates. So if you view someone’s status and they have read receipts enabled, they’ll know you saw it.
This can make viewing video statuses more complicated when you want to watch someone’s status update but don’t necessarily want them to know. The good news is there are a few different tricks you can use to view WhatsApp video statuses anonymously.
Disable Read Receipts
The easiest way to view a WhatsApp status without the sender knowing is to turn off your read receipts. This prevents the sender from seeing if and when you view their updates.
To disable read receipts:
- Open WhatsApp and tap the three dot menu in the top right corner
- Go to Settings > Account > Privacy
- Toggle off ‘Read Receipts’
With read receipts disabled, you’re free to view status updates without the sender being notified. Just keep in mind this works both ways – you also won’t be able to see who views your statuses if you have the setting turned off.
Use Airplane Mode
Airplane mode is another easy way to anonymously view WhatsApp statuses. When you enable airplane mode on your phone, it disables all internet connectivity. This allows you to open WhatsApp and view status updates while offline.
To use airplane mode to view WhatsApp statuses anonymously:
- Open WhatsApp first before enabling airplane mode. This loads the app’s cache and data.
- Turn on airplane mode from your phone’s settings to disable internet.
- Go back to WhatsApp. You’ll see a no internet connection warning, but statuses should load from the cache.
- View the status updates you want to see.
- Close WhatsApp completely once you’re done watching.
- Disable airplane mode to reconnect to the internet.
Since WhatsApp can’t send or receive data while in airplane mode, your views won’t be shown to the sender. Their status is briefly cached on your phone so you can watch once before airplane mode is disabled again.
Use a Third-Party Viewer
There are various third-party apps and tools available that let you view WhatsApp statuses anonymously. These apps work by intercepting the status data before it reaches WhatsApp’s servers.
Some popular anonymous viewers include:
- Watusi – iOS app that saves statuses and lets you view anonymously
- WA Tweaks – Android app with status saving and anonymous viewing
- Status Saver – Website that displays WhatsApp statuses without sending view receipts back to sender
The exact features vary for each tool, but most provide a way to watch statuses without the sender knowing. Just be cautious of phishing attempts and only use reputable apps from known developers.
Use WhatsApp Web
The WhatsApp Web browser version can also be an option for anonymous status viewing in some cases. When you use WhatsApp Web, your online activity is linked to your paired mobile device.
So if you pair WhatsApp Web to a secondary device that the status sender doesn’t have the number for, your views won’t display as seen to them. Of course, this only works if you have multiple devices available.
To use WhatsApp Web to anonymously view statuses:
- On your secondary device, go to web.whatsapp.com
- Scan the QR code with the primary device you want statuses to display as seen from
- On your secondary paired device, view the status updates you want anonymously
As long as the sender only has your primary device number registered, WhatsApp Web provides a simple way to watch statuses without detection.
Screen Record the Status
If the status you want to view disappears before you can watch it anonymously, your only option might be to screen record the status. This lets you capture the video on your device so you can watch it later.
To screen record a WhatsApp status:
- Open the status that you want to record.
- Quickly enable screen record mode on your device. For iPhone, swipe down from the top right and tap the Screen Record icon. For Android, swipe down from the top and tap the Screen Record option.
- Let the status play fully while recording.
- Stop the recording once it ends.
- You’ll now have the status video saved in your phone’s gallery to view offline.
While not fully anonymous, screen recording statuses lets you view them after the fact at least. Just be mindful of only using the recording for your own viewing.
Use Another Phone Number
One sneaky way to view WhatsApp statuses anonymously is to sign up for the service using a different phone number that the status sender doesn’t have. You can then view their statuses as much as you want without detection.
To do this:
- Get a secondary phone number through a family member, Google Voice, or another provider.
- Download WhatsApp and register using that new number.
- Look up the status sender and view their updates without them knowing.
As long as the sender has your main number saved, any views from your secondary WhatsApp account will show up anonymously. Just make sure not to contact the sender from the new number, as that would reveal you have it.
View Through a Friend’s Phone
If you have a friend that the status sender isn’t also friends with on WhatsApp, you can view statuses through your friend’s phone without detection.
To do this:
- Find a friend who has the status sender as a contact but is not a contact of the sender themselves.
- Ask your friend if you can login to WhatsApp on their phone temporarily.
- View the status you want to see through your friend’s WhatsApp.
- The sender will just see your friend’s contact viewing the status anonymously.
Just make sure your friend logs you out of WhatsApp when done and that they trust you enough not to misuse their account. Use this method sparingly to avoid detection.
Create a WhatsApp Business Account
WhatsApp Business accounts are designed for companies to interact with customers. These business accounts don’t show view receipts to regular WhatsApp users.
You can take advantage of this by:
- Downloading the WhatsApp Business app
- Creating a business profile with a new phone number
- Searching for the status sender’s contact
- Viewing their statuses anonymously
Similar to using a secondary personal account, this business account trick only works if the sender doesn’t have your business number saved already. But it provides an easy anonymous viewing option otherwise.
Delete Your Number from Their Phone
In some circumstances, you may be able to anonymously view someone’s WhatsApp status by deleting your number from their phone contacts.
This can work if:
- You previously had your number saved in their phone
- You no longer want them to know when you view their status updates
- You’re able to briefly access their device to delete your number
By removing your number from their contacts, WhatsApp will no longer be able to cross-reference your views to your contact profile. However, this is highly situation dependent and can raise privacy concerns, so only attempt with care and communication.
Conclusion
Viewing WhatsApp statuses anonymously requires some creative workarounds, but is possible through various means. Your options include disabling read receipts, using airplane mode, third-party apps, WhatsApp Web, recording the status, using different accounts, borrowing a friend’s device, or deleting your number from the sender’s contacts.
Keep in mind anonymous status viewing should be used ethically and not to invade someone’s privacy. But when you just want to view a status without someone knowing, these tricks can help you stay under the radar.
With over 1 billion daily users, WhatsApp continues to be a communication hub worldwide. Understanding how to control your viewing experience based on your needs can help you make the most of the platform and its ever-growing features.
| Method | How it Works |
|---|---|
| Disable Read Receipts | Turn off the setting that shows the sender who viewed their status updates |
| Airplane Mode | View statuses offline so views aren’t tracked |
| Third-party Apps | Specialized tools intercept status data and prevent tracking |
| WhatsApp Web | Web browser doesn’t associate views with your account |
| Screen Record | Record and save statuses to view offline later |
| New Accounts | Create a new WhatsApp account the sender doesn’t have the number for |
| Friend’s Phone | Borrow a friend’s device the sender isn’t friends with |
| Business Accounts | Business accounts don’t show view receipts to regular users |
| Delete Your Number | Remove your number from the sender’s phone so statuses are anonymous |