Mentioned in a WhatsApp Status: What It Means
A chat from someone has arrived saying they mentioned you privately in their status, and you'd like to know what that means before you tap the link. They shared a status and tagged you so you'd see it. The mention is private: other people viewing that status can't see that you were tagged.
WhatsApp's help center says you can look at the status even if you're not in the person's usual audience, and you can reshare it as your own. This page covers what the mention shows, who else sees it, how a group mention differs, and how to stop mentions.
What a status mention is
A mention is a way to tell a specific person or group that you've posted a status for them to see. WhatsApp's help page on status mentions says you can mention individual contacts and groups, and the people or groups you mention can view the status and reshare it to their own audience.
Mentioned people get a message from the poster in the Chats tab. It says they mentioned you and includes a link to the status. When a group is mentioned, the mention is sent to the existing group chat instead.
A poster can add up to 5 mentions on one status. WhatsApp also notes that any WhatsApp user may mention you, not just your contacts. Its example is people in the same group or community.
What "privately" means
"Privately" has two parts in WhatsApp's wording: how you're told, and what other viewers see.
| Who | What they see |
|---|---|
| You, if mentioned individually | A message in your chat with the poster, with a link to the status |
| Other people viewing the status | They can't see that you were mentioned |
| Other people who were also mentioned | They can't see you were mentioned either |
| Members of a group that was mentioned | All the group members can see the status mention |
So an individual mention doesn't appear on the status itself. The blog post that announced the feature on October 3, 2024 says the same: those you mention are notified privately and the mention isn't shown on the status.
Can you see the status if you're not in their audience?
Yes. WhatsApp says people you mention can see your status even if they aren't in your status audience. It adds that this doesn't change the audience settings for your future statuses.
That's different from normal status privacy, where you choose who sees what. The default is that your contacts can see your statuses, and WhatsApp says you can't set status privacy to Everyone. A mention is a one-off exception for that status only.
If you want to know who looked at your own status, see who viewed my WhatsApp status. If a status doesn't show up for you and no one mentioned you, the reasons are in why you can't see someone's WhatsApp status.
Resharing a status you were mentioned in
You may reshare the status content as your own. WhatsApp says you can edit the content and choose your audience before sharing, as with any status.
The reshared version doesn't carry the original poster's identity. WhatsApp says resharing lets your audience see the content, but it doesn't reveal the poster's name, profile info or phone number. That's worth knowing from both sides: if you mention someone, they can pass your content on without your name attached.
For a business, this is the useful part. When a customer mentions your business in their status, you can reshare what they posted to your own status audience. It's their photo or video, so ask before you reshare anything more personal than a thank-you.
Group mentions in status
You can also mention a group. WhatsApp's June 12, 2025 feature roundup announced it: all members of the group are notified in the group chat, and they can reshare the status to their own audience.
Unlike an individual mention, a group mention is visible to the whole group. WhatsApp's help page says that if you're in a group that was mentioned, all group members can see the status mention. If you'd prefer something private, mention people one at a time.
How to mention someone in your status
On Android, per WhatsApp's help page:
- Tap Updates, then Add status.
- Pick a photo or video, or record one with the camera.
- Tap @ to add up to 5 private mentions.
- Tap the send button to share.
Text and voice statuses don't support mentions, and WhatsApp says that's "for now". That's the first thing to check if the @ option is missing. WhatsApp also describes the feature as rolling out in phases, so some people get it before others.
How to stop mentions
WhatsApp gives a few controls, from light to firm:
- Mute or archive the chat. If you don't want to be notified when someone mentions you, archive the chat with them or mute notifications for that chat.
- Block the person. To stop mentions from a specific person, you can block them.
- Leave the group. For a group, exit and delete it.
- Hide their status. This doesn't stop mentions. If you've hidden someone's status, they can still send you a chat with a mention, but their updates stay hidden in the Updates tab. You can still see the status you were mentioned in.
If the status you were mentioned in has problematic content or spam, you can report it.
Where Tenashi fits
For a business, a status mention from a customer is word of mouth, and it arrives on the phone. Status updates and status mentions aren't in Tenashi's inbox, so the status itself has to be opened in WhatsApp.
What Tenashi does is keep the customer relationship in one place around it. When your number is connected to Tenashi, your team can open the customer's chat in the shared inbox, add an internal note on their contact profile saying they posted about you, and set a follow-up reminder to thank them. That covers chats on your own connected business number, from the day you connect it. More on running a team on one number in our guide to WhatsApp for business.
Plans start at $18/mo. Get started.
FAQ
What does it mean when WhatsApp says someone mentioned you privately in their status?
It means they shared a status and tagged you so you'd see it. You get a message in your chat with them containing a link. Other people viewing the status can't see that you were mentioned, and you can view it even if you aren't in their normal status audience.
Can other people see who is mentioned in a WhatsApp status?
Not for individual mentions. WhatsApp says other viewers can't see you were mentioned, not even other people who were mentioned. The exception is a group mention: if a group is mentioned, all members of that group can see the status mention.
Can I reshare a status I was mentioned in?
Yes. WhatsApp says you may reshare the content as your own, edit it and choose your audience before posting. The reshared version doesn't show the original poster's name, profile info or phone number to your audience.
Why can't I mention someone in my WhatsApp status?
Mentions don't work on text or voice statuses for now, so use a photo or video. WhatsApp also described the feature as rolling out in phases, so it may not have reached your account yet. You can add up to 5 mentions per status.
How do I stop people mentioning me in their status?
Block the person, or exit and delete the group that mentions you. If you only want to stop the notifications, archive the chat with them or mute it. WhatsApp's default privacy setup lets any user mention you.
A status mention is a private nudge with a link, and it can be reshared without the poster's name. To keep your team's follow-up with that customer in one inbox, get started with Tenashi.