How Long Does a WhatsApp Status Last? Time and Length
You posted a WhatsApp status, or you're about to, and you want to know when it goes and how much video you can fit in it.
A WhatsApp status lasts 24 hours, and a status video can be up to 90 seconds long. After 24 hours it's gone from WhatsApp for your viewers and for you, unless you saved a copy to your phone first. If a video runs longer, WhatsApp shares only the first 90 seconds.
The limits at a glance
| Question | What WhatsApp says |
|---|---|
| How long does a status last? | It disappears after 24 hours |
| How long can a video be? | Up to 90 seconds |
| What happens to a longer video? | Only the first 90 seconds are shared |
| Which video formats? | 3GP and MPEG-4 |
| Can you delete several at once? | No, one at a time |
| Can you save someone else's status? | No, only your own |
WhatsApp's "About status" page says statuses are text, photo, video and GIF updates that disappear after 24 hours, and that the maximum duration for a status is 90 seconds. You may still see 30 seconds quoted, from an older WhatsApp help page that no longer loads. The current pages on status, on creating one and on fixing one that won't share all say 90, so that is the number to use.
Quality also drops. WhatsApp says HD media isn't supported for statuses, and photos and videos can look lower quality than the original because files are compressed when shared. You also need at least 1GB of free space on your phone to share a status.
After 24 hours
WhatsApp's page on managing your status says updates are available online for 24 hours. When the time is up, the status is gone from the Updates tab for your viewers and you can't bring it back from there.
Anything you saved to your device stays in your phone's gallery. WhatsApp's backup settings do mention a status archive (a switch to include it in your chat backup), but the help pages we checked don't explain how that archive works or whether you can open an expired status from it, so don't rely on it. What happens to the viewer list after expiry isn't documented either. One related line: if you delete a contact who has viewed a status, they stay on the viewer list until the status expires. While a status is live, you see views by going to Updates > My status, tapping the status and then the eye icon. Contacts who like it show with a green heart. Who gets to see it is covered in who viewed my WhatsApp status.
How to delete a status early
You don't have to wait 24 hours. WhatsApp's steps are:
- Go to Updates > My status.
- Tap the status, then More (three dots).
- Tap Delete, then confirm. On iPhone, the confirmation reads Delete 1 status update.
You can only delete one status at a time. If a contact has connection problems, the status might still be visible to them for a while. And if the status had mentions, deleting it means the mentioned people might not see it. Android's page says they won't see it any longer; the iPhone page says they might not. More on mentions in WhatsApp status mentions.
Edit and save your own status
On Android, you can edit the caption of a status within 15 minutes of posting it. You can't edit the photo or video or the audience. If a status has no caption, there's nothing to edit. WhatsApp's iPhone page says you can't edit statuses at all: delete it and share a new one.
To keep a copy of your own status:
- Go to Updates > My status and tap the status.
- Tap More (three dots), then Save.
Saved updates are stored on your device. On Android you find them in your Gallery or Google Photos app, and on iPhone in the Photos app. WhatsApp says you can't save someone else's status. If you want a copy of a status someone else posted, ask them to send it to you.
Who can see it for those 24 hours
By default your contacts can see your statuses. WhatsApp says you can't set status privacy to Everyone or share your status with people who don't have your number, and you choose your audience each time with the Status (Contacts) option when you post. Read receipts matter too: with them off, you might not be able to see who views your status. If you want to watch someone's status quietly, that's a separate question we answer in how to view a WhatsApp status without them knowing.
Where Tenashi fits
For a business, a 24 hour limit decides what a status is for. A flash offer or a daily menu works as a status. A quote, an address, a payment link or opening hours that a customer might need tomorrow does not. Send those as a message so it stays in the conversation.
When your number is connected to Tenashi, the messages your team sends and receives on it are stored in the inbox from the day you connect, so a customer's question and your answer stay in the thread for anyone on the team. Statuses themselves don't appear in the inbox, so treat them as announcements and keep anything important in chat. For updates to many customers at once, see broadcast vs group. For more on running a team on one number, see our guide to WhatsApp for business. Plans start at $18/mo. Get started.
FAQ
How long does a WhatsApp status last?
24 hours. WhatsApp says status updates disappear after 24 hours. You can delete one earlier from Updates, My status. After 24 hours it's no longer available to your viewers or to you in WhatsApp, unless you saved a copy to your phone before it expired.
How many hours does a WhatsApp status stay?
Twenty-four hours. WhatsApp's pages give that single figure for how long a status stays, and none of them describes a way to extend it. To keep your own status longer, save it to your phone before it expires, using More, then Save.
How long can a WhatsApp status video be?
Up to 90 seconds, in 3GP or MPEG-4 format. If you upload a longer video, only the first 90 seconds are shared. Some older guides say 30 seconds, but WhatsApp's current pages about status and on creating a status both say 90.
Can you see a WhatsApp status after 24 hours?
No. WhatsApp says status updates are available online for 24 hours. The documented way to keep your own status is to save it before it expires, with More, then Save. You can't save someone else's status.
Can I delete a WhatsApp status before 24 hours?
Yes. Go to Updates, My status, tap the status, then More (three dots), then Delete and confirm. You can delete only one status at a time, not several together. A contact who has connection problems might still see it for a while.
A status is gone in a day, so anything a customer must keep belongs in a message. For a team that wants those messages in one shared inbox, get started with Tenashi.