What to know

  • WhatsApp's About status returns with a new option to set it for a custom period.
  • The status appears in user profiles and directly in chat headers for better visibility.
  • Users can set expiration times ranging from sooner than 24 hours to longer durations.
  • Privacy settings allow users to control who can view their About status.

WhatsApp has revived the "About" status, a text-based status shown on your WhatsApp profile. This was an earlier feature that had been replaced by more multimedia-focused Status updates. This reintroduced About status lets you display short personal messages, moods, or updates directly on your profile.

The new About status lets you set expiration periods for the status (up to 1 month). Unlike before, the About status now appears not only on the profile page but also prominently in the chat header, right below the contact's name. You retain full control over who gets to see your About text. Only contacts allowed by privacy settings can view the status.

How to set your WhatsApp About status

Open WhatsApp and go to your profile settings. Then tap on the 'Add your About' bubble.

Type in your About status message.

By default, the About message appears only to your contacts. You can change this by tapping on 'My Contacts' below the message field. And select from the following:

  • Everyone
  • My contacts
  • My contacts except...
  • Nobody

The default duration for the About message is 1 day, after which it will be deleted automatically.

You can change this by tapping on the duration and choosing from the available options:

  • 1 hour
  • 8 hours
  • 1 day
  • 2 days
  • 1 week
  • Custom (up to 1 month)

Once set, tap on the green tick.

The return of the About status with expiration settings makes WhatsApp profiles more dynamic and communicative.