WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. One of the key features of WhatsApp is the status function, which allows users to share photos, videos and messages that disappear after 24 hours.
When you post a status on WhatsApp, it’s visible to all your contacts by default. However, you can choose to mute specific contacts so they can’t view your status updates. This can be useful if you only want certain people to see your status.
Muting status viewers is easy to do right within the WhatsApp app. In this article, we’ll walk through the simple steps to mute and unmute WhatsApp status viewers on both iPhone and Android devices. We’ll also provide tips on managing your status privacy.
Why Would You Want to Mute Status Viewers?
Here are some common reasons you may want to mute someone from viewing your WhatsApp status:
– Privacy – You may not want certain contacts, like coworkers or distant acquaintances, viewing your more personal status updates. Muting them can keep your status private.
– Avoiding unwanted attention – Some people constantly view your status but don’t interact with you beyond that. Muting them can remove the distraction of having your status frequently viewed.
– Blocking contacts – Muting someone from your status also mutes you from theirs. This can be an easy way to discreetly block a contact.
– Restrict kids’ viewing – Parents may want to limit their childrens’ viewing of other users’ statuses. Muting certain contacts for your kids can help with this.
– Reduce status count – If the number of views on your status bothers you, muting some contacts can lower the view count.
So in summary, muting status viewers lets you control who interacts with your status and tailor it to your desired audience. It’s great for privacy and limiting unwanted attention.
How to Mute WhatsApp Status Viewers on iPhone
Muting status viewers is easy on iPhone. Just follow these steps:
1. Open WhatsApp and tap on the Status tab at the bottom.
2. Tap on the three dot menu button in the top right corner.
3. Select Privacy.
4. Tap on Status Privacy.
5. Under “Who can view my status updates,” tap on My Contacts Except.
6. This will display a list of all your contacts. Tap on the circle next to each contact you want to mute from viewing your status. Their name will be grayed out when muted.
7. Tap OK when finished to apply the changes.
These muted contacts will now no longer be able to view any of your current or future status updates. They will remain muted until you manually unmute them.
To unmute contacts and allow them to view your status again:
1. Go back into Status Privacy.
2. Tap on the muted contacts to uncheck them. Their names will become blue again when unmuted.
3. Tap OK to confirm the changes.
It’s that easy! With just a few taps you can precisely control who sees and interacts with your WhatsApp status.
How to Mute WhatsApp Status Viewers on Android
The process for muting status viewers is similarly straightforward on Android:
1. In WhatsApp, tap the three dot menu button in the top right.
2. Go to Settings > Account > Privacy.
3. Tap on Status Privacy.
4. Tap on My Contacts Except.
5. Check the boxes next to any contacts you want to mute from viewing your status.
6. Tap OK to apply the changes.
Now those selected contacts will no longer be able to view your status updates.
To undo the muting:
1. Return to Status Privacy.
2. Uncheck the boxes next to any previously muted contacts that you want to unmute.
3. Tap OK to confirm.
Your status visibility will be restored to those contacts.
The process works the same whether you’re using an Android phone from Samsung, Google, Huawei, Xiaomi, or another device brand. Simply access the Status Privacy menu to manage who can interact with your status.
Using WhatsApp’s View Once Feature for More Privacy
In addition to muting viewers, WhatsApp also offers a View Once feature for adding privacy to your statuses.
When enabled, your contacts can only view your status one time before it disappears. This prevents contacts from repeatedly viewing or screenshotting your status updates.
To use it:
1. Before posting a status, tap the three dot menu.
2. Enable View Once.
3. Post your status as normal.
Contacts will now only be able to view that status a single time before it’s no longer visible to them.
View Once is useful if you want to share a status but only let people see it once before it essentially deletes itself. This provides peace of mind that your status won’t be seen more than you intended.
Third-Party Apps to Manage WhatsApp Status Viewers
There are also third-party apps that offer enhanced management of your WhatsApp status privacy:
– WAPrivacy – This app allows you to see a detailed list of who has viewed your status updates. You can then selectively mute contacts from your status feed based on who views your updates frequently.
– Hide for WA – This hides your status entirely from contacts you select, rather than just muting their access. You can hide from certain contacts permanently.
– AppLock – This app locks WhatsApp behind a passcode or fingerprint ID. You can use it to limit access to your status if you want an extra layer of security.
– Status Saver – This lets you secretly save photos and videos from status updates. Useful for discreetly backing up statuses from muted contacts.
While WhatsApp’s built-in muting works for most users, these third-party tools offer more advanced status privacy options.
What Happens When You Mute Someone’s Status Updates?
Muting a contact doesn’t just prevent them from seeing your status. It also prevents you from seeing their status updates.
So when you mute someone:
– Their status tab goes blank as if they aren’t posting statuses.
– You won’t get notified about their status updates.
– Any active statuses they have won’t be visible to you.
Essentially, muting works both ways – you block them from your status, and they get blocked from yours.
This makes muting an effective way to discreetly disconnect from someone’s status feed if you no longer want to interact. Just be aware that they will notice they can no longer view your status either.
Does WhatsApp Notify Contacts When You Mute Them?
No, WhatsApp does not proactively notify someone if you mute them. The app runs silently in the background.
So when you mute contacts from your status privacy settings, they do not receive any kind of alert or message about it.
The only way a muted contact would know is if they try to view your status and find it blank or unavailable. They may also realize they can no longer view your status updates.
But there is no push notification sent out from WhatsApp that states “X contact has muted you.” Muting happens discretely behind the scenes.
Can You See Who Views Your WhatsApp Status?
Unlike Instagram and Facebook stories, WhatsApp does not have a built-in view counter for status updates.
You can’t natively see a list of who has viewed your status within WhatsApp itself.
However, there are a few workarounds:
– Use a third party app like WAPrivacy to access detailed viewer analytics.
– Post an update saying “chat me if you’ve viewed my status.” This lets you crowdsource the data.
– On Android you can see when contacts were “last seen,” which may indicate if they viewed your status.
– Make your status update a question or poll to bait viewers into responding.
Without a proper view count, you’ll need to use indirect methods like these to gauge who is interacting with your status. But apps like WAPrivacy make it easy to monitor status views across your contacts.
Should You Notify Contacts Before Muting Them?
You don’t have to notify contacts before muting them on WhatsApp. Since the app doesn’t alert users, it can be done discreetly.
However, there are a few cases where notifying them first may be better:
– If it’s a close friend or family member, a heads up allows them to understand why.
– When muting as part of setting a broader boundary, explaining this may help the person understand it’s not personal.
– If you’re trying to avoid or block an abusive contact, warning could incite retaliation.
– When muting kids or teens, notifying their parents can keep them informed.
So in general, notifying is optional but can be considerate for closer contacts you mute. For abusive/toxic contacts, stealth muting is recommended. Use your best judgment.
Pros and Cons of Muting WhatsApp Status Viewers
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| – More status privacy and control over who views your updates | – Can potentially offend contacts if done without notice |
| – Avoid unwanted attention from frequent status viewers | – You also lose access to their status updates |
| – Discreetly block contacts from interacting with you | – If done secretly, muted person may not understand why |
| – Limit kids’ digital footprint and viewing | – Apps like WAViewer bypass muting unless totally blocked |
Conclusion
Muting WhatsApp contacts from viewing your status is an easy way to gain more control over your privacy. By following the steps to mute via Status Privacy settings, you can selectively choose who interacts with your updates.
Just remember muting is a two-way street – contacts you mute will also have your status muted. Use this feature carefully with closer friends and family if maintaining that status access matters.
Overall, muting gives you discretion over your digital life. But it should be used judiciously and not as an avoidance tactic. With great power comes great responsibility!