secret read
See WhatsApp status anonymously: how to go unnoticed
Let’s see what the others are doing, but in such a way that no one notices.
© Mlenny/Getty Images
Whatsapp status of contacts can be exciting, but you don’t always want the sender to know you were looking at it. There are tricks to avoid this.
What is “story” on Instagram is simply called “status” on WhatsApp. And while the feature initially received a lot of flak and had big teething problems, more and more people are using status to share current experiences with their connections. Because unlike the case of Instagram, the status is only shared with the people who have the mobile number, and not with the global public.
Plus, as a sender, you get a handy list of who has viewed the status, as a read receipt is sent with each click. However, this is exactly what can be prevented. Because maybe it’s embarrassing or inappropriate if you regularly look at the stories of the love you’ve been through, because you still have the number in the address book.
Using WhatsApp anonymously limits functions
The easiest way to read stories anonymously is through the app’s privacy settings. Simply navigate in the settings to the “Account” menu, then “Privacy” and there to “Read receipts”. As soon as you disable this item, other people will no longer know that you have read a message or viewed a status. However, this configuration has a drawback: if you no longer reveal what you read and view, you will no longer know who is reading your messages or checking your status.
For emergencies, and at no disadvantage to you, there are more tips floating around the internet. But: Most of the time, these instructions either work poorly or have major drawbacks. For example, it is recommended to view status posts in airplane mode and without a WiFi connection. Assuming the content is loaded, Whatsapp would send all confirmations after the connection was restored. What should help: After viewing the content anonymously, delete the app, restore the Internet, reinstall the app. A huge effort that is hardly worth it, especially since WhatsApp limits the number of possible new installations.
The same applies to viewing news in the web browser without an Internet connection. Theoretically this is even possible, but due to lack of data flow the images don’t load, you only see the text.
Wait at least 24 hours
In very urgent cases, the following advice has been helpful if you can’t live with the downside of losing read receipts: If you’ve viewed a status anonymously and with read receipts turned off, wait until the status automatically disappears after 24 hours. If you just re-enable the read receipts feature, Whatsapp can’t record it and the sender won’t know that you have inquired.
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