How to View WhatsApp Status on WhatsApp Web

Where the Status tab is on WhatsApp Web, the keyboard shortcuts to move between updates, and why some statuses won't open on a computer.

Status Saver November 15, 2026 2 min read

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To view WhatsApp statuses on WhatsApp Web, open web.whatsapp.com, click the Status icon in the left strip (the circle with a dashed ring, just below Chats), and click a contact. Use → and ← to move between updates and Esc to close. It shows the same statuses as your phone.

Find the Status tab

Open web.whatsapp.com and scan the QR code from your phone (WhatsApp → Settings → Linked devices → Link a device).
In the left strip, under the Chats icon, click the Status icon — a circle with a dashed ring.
The panel lists My status at the top, then recent updates, then ones you've already seen.

Click any contact to start. The bar at the top shows how many updates they posted and which one you're on.

Moving around

Key	What it does
`→`	Next update
`←`	Previous update
`Space`	Pause / play (hold the mouse button down also pauses)
`Esc`	Close the viewer

Statuses that won't open

Grey ring that never loads — WhatsApp Web fetches each status from your linked session. A weak connection, or a phone that has been offline for a long time, can leave it stuck. Refresh the page.
Missing contacts — you only see statuses from people who have your number saved and whose privacy settings include you. That's the same rule as on the phone.
Text statuses look different — they are drawn by WhatsApp, not stored as a picture. That's also why text statuses can't be saved as files.

Saving what you watch

WhatsApp Web has no download button for statuses. The Status Saver extension adds one: every photo and video you open is kept on your computer, and you can browse them in WhatsApp Web or on our status viewer page. The full walkthrough is in how to save a WhatsApp status on a PC.

Does watching on the web mark it as seen?

Yes. A status you open on WhatsApp Web counts as viewed, exactly as on your phone, and you appear in the poster's viewer list unless you have read receipts turned off. More on that in the status viewer list.