WhatsApp status allows you to share photos, videos, and texts that disappear after 24 hours. However, you may want to delete a status before that time is up, whether because you shared something accidentally or no longer want certain contacts to view it.
Thankfully, WhatsApp provides options to delete statuses early.
In this comprehensive guide, we will cover everything you need to know about deleting WhatsApp statuses before the 24-hour limit.
You’ll learn how to delete statuses on both iPhone and Android, remove statuses after posting, deleting them for everyone, and workarounds to delete viewed statuses.
By the end, you’ll be able to regain control over your WhatsApp profile and posted statuses. Let’s get started!
How to Delete WhatsApp Status Before 24 Hours on iPhone
WhatsApp allows you to post status updates that disappear after 24 hours. However, there may be times when you want to delete a status before the 24-hour time limit is up. Here are the steps to delete a WhatsApp status early on an iPhone:
View Your Current Status Updates
- Open WhatsApp and tap on your profile picture in the top left corner.
- Tap on “Status” to view your current status updates.
Delete a Status Update
- Tap and hold on the status update you want to delete.
- Tap on the trash icon that appears in the top right corner.
- A confirmation prompt will appear – tap “Delete” to confirm.
The status update will be immediately deleted for you and anyone who has viewed it. Keep in mind that if someone has taken a screenshot of your status, deleting it will not delete it from their phone gallery.
Delete Multiple Status Updates
- Follow steps 1-2 above to view your current status updates.
- Tap on the 3 dots in the top right corner.
- Tap on “Delete multiple”.
- This will bring up all your status updates – tap on each status you want to delete.
- Tap “Delete” at the bottom once you’ve selected all the statuses to delete.
This will immediately delete all the selected status updates.
And that’s it! By following these steps you can delete a WhatsApp status on iPhone before the 24 hour limit.
How to Delete WhatsApp Status Before 24 Hours on Android
Just like on iPhone, WhatsApp for Android also allows you to delete status updates before the 24 hour limit. Here’s how to do it:
1. View Your Current Status Updates
- Open WhatsApp and tap on the “Updates” tab.
- Tap on “Status” to view your current status updates.
2. Delete a Status Update
- Tap on the three-dot icon at the upper right corner of the screen.
- Tap on Delete.
- Confirm that you want to delete the status update by tapping on “Delete” once again.
It will be immediately deleted from your profile and anyone who has viewed it.
3. Delete Multiple Status Updates
- Follow steps 1-2 above to view your current status updates.
- Tap on the 3 vertical dots in the top right corner.
- Tap on “Delete multiple”.
- This will bring up all your status updates – tap on each one you want to delete.
- Tap “Delete” once you’ve selected all the statuses to delete.
All selected status updates will be deleted right away.
In this way you can easily clear your WhatsApp status updates on Android before the 24 hour limit is reached.
There are instances where WhatsApp statuses disappear before 24 hours but that is rare. To remove your WhatsApp status before the stipulated time, you have to manually remove it.
How to Delete WhatsApp Status For Everyone
By default, when you delete a WhatsApp status update it is only deleted from your profile. Anyone who has already viewed your status can still see it until it expires after 24 hours.
However, there is a way to delete a status update from everyone’s WhatsApp by deleting it for everyone. Here’s how:
Before You Post a Status
The easiest way is to delete a status for everyone is before you even post it.
- After creating a status update, tap “Delete” at the bottom left.
- A popup will appear – tap “Delete for everyone”.
- Confirm that you want to delete the status update.
Since you haven’t posted it yet, deleting for everyone will completely delete the status before anyone can view it.
After You’ve Posted a Status
If you’ve already shared a status update, follow these steps:
- View your current status updates and tap and hold on the one you want to delete.
- Tap on the trash can icon at the top.
- A popup will appear – tap “Delete for everyone”.
- Confirm that you want to delete the status update.
This will remove the status update entirely from WhatsApp as long as no one has viewed it yet. If even one person has seen it, the status will only be deleted from your profile but will still be visible to others until it expires.
How to Remove Viewed Status From WhatsApp
If you delete a WhatsApp status after posting it, the status will disappear from your profile but anyone who has already viewed it will still be able to see it until the 24-hour limit is reached.
So how do you delete a status that people have already seen? Unfortunately, there is no built-in way to do this, but there are a couple of workarounds:
Delete and Re-Add the Contacts
- Delete the contacts who have viewed the status from your WhatsApp.
- Once deleted, re-add them again.
- Your viewed status will disappear from their WhatsApp as they won’t be able to retrieve statuses from deleted contacts.
While this works, it can be impractical for deleting a status viewed by many contacts.
Ask Contacts to Delete the Status
The other option is to individually message contacts who have seen the status and politely ask them to delete it. There is no way to delete it remotely, so you have to request them to open your status and delete it from their end.
While not foolproof, if you have a reasonable explanation most friends or contacts will likely oblige and delete the status for you if asked.
Unfortunately, there’s no true way to remotely force delete a viewed WhatsApp status. But using the above workarounds you can either reset the status or request deletion to regain some control.
What Happens When You Delete A Status On WhatsApp?
Here’s a quick summary of what happens when you delete a status on WhatsApp:
- If no one has viewed your status yet, deleting it removes it entirely as if it was never posted.
- If people have viewed your status, deleting it removes it from your profile but viewers can still see it until it expires after 24 hours.
- You can delete a status for everyone before posting it or until the first view. This will prevent it from being seen.
- There is no built-in way to remove a viewed status. You can either reset contacts or ask viewers to delete it for you.
- Deleting your status does not delete it from people’s phones if they took a screenshot.
- Other WhatsApp users are notified when you delete a status update.
- Deleting statuses frequently can make your account look suspicious.
While WhatsApp doesn’t allow you to delete viewed statuses, there are some workarounds like resetting contacts. But once a status is seen, there is no foolproof way to force delete it from people’s apps. So post carefully!
Conclusion
Being able to delete WhatsApp statuses gives you more control over your privacy and profile. While there is no way to remotely delete viewed statuses, the workarounds provided can help in a pinch.
It’s important to be cautious about what you share to your status and delete anything you don’t want circulating.
We’ve covered the full range of options for deleting WhatsApp status before 24 hours on both iOS and Android.
From deleting for yourself to removing statuses from everyone’s apps, you now have the knowledge to manage your statuses. Use these tips to keep your WhatsApp profile tidy and error-free.
