How to Hide Your WhatsApp DP From One Person or Everyone
Four settings control who sees your WhatsApp DP: Everyone, My contacts, My contacts except, Nobody. Here are the steps on Android and iPhone. Not affiliated with WhatsApp.
Published October 28, 2026
Your DP (display picture) is the first thing a new chat shows. Maybe you don't want a colleague, an ex, or a stranger from a listing looking at it. WhatsApp lets you control this, and you can hide it from one person, from everyone except your contacts, or from everyone.
The steps
These follow WhatsApp's own instructions in its Help Center article How to change your privacy settings. The setting is called Profile photo. Some WhatsApp pages call it "Profile picture". It is the same thing as your DP.
Android
- Open WhatsApp and tap More options (the three dots).
- Tap Settings, then Privacy.
- Tap Profile photo.
- Choose Everyone, My contacts, My contacts except..., or Nobody.
iPhone
- Open WhatsApp and tap Settings.
- Tap Privacy, then Profile photo.
- Choose one of the same four options.
The change applies straight away to your account. You don't need to do anything per chat.
What each option means
| Option | Who can see your DP |
|---|---|
| Everyone | Anyone who has your number, saved or not |
| My contacts | People in your own contacts list (address book) |
| My contacts except... | The people in your contacts list, minus the ones you pick |
| Nobody | No one |
A few notes on how these work.
My contacts is based on your own address book. A number you haven't saved is not in it, so that person doesn't see your photo.
My contacts except... is the one most people want. It shows your DP to the people in your contacts list, but hides it from the names you tick. Those people can still message you and call you as normal. Only the photo is hidden from them.
Nobody hides it from everyone, including family.
How to hide your DP from just one person
- Go to Settings > Privacy > Profile photo.
- Choose My contacts except....
- Tick the person, or people, you want to hide it from.
- Confirm or tap done, depending on your phone.
That's it. Everyone else in your contacts list still sees your photo.
One catch: this works for people who are in your address book. You pick them from your contact list. For a number you haven't saved, the way to keep the photo hidden is the next section.
How to hide it from strangers and unsaved numbers
Choose My contacts. Only people in your own contacts list will see the DP. Someone who messages you from a number you haven't saved, or who has your number from a group or an ad, will see no photo.
If you leave it on Everyone, anyone with your number can see it, whether you have saved them or not. There is no setting that hides the photo from unsaved numbers only while keeping Everyone on. For the longer explanation, see can someone see your profile picture if they haven't saved your number.
What these settings don't do
The settings control who can see the photo. They have limits worth knowing.
- They don't erase the past. If someone already saw your DP or saved it before you changed the setting, that copy stays with them. Changing the setting stops them seeing it from now on. It doesn't delete what they already have.
- Others can still copy it. WhatsApp blocks screenshots of profile photos on some Android and iPhone versions, but a person who can see your photo can still photograph the screen with another device. Choose the audience with that in mind.
- Apps can't override this. Third-party "DP viewer" or "DP downloader" apps cannot get around someone's privacy setting. Don't install them for that reason. Your setting is the only control you have, and it is the one that counts.
If you want your number kept private from someone you're messaging, that is a separate matter. See will they know you didn't save their number for what the other side can and can't tell.
FAQ
Can I hide my DP from one contact only? Yes. Go to Settings > Privacy > Profile photo, choose My contacts except..., and tick that person. Everyone else in your contacts list can still see it.
Will the person be told that I hid my DP from them? I found no WhatsApp notification for this change. The person will see no photo, just the default icon, when they open your chat or profile.
Does "My contacts" hide my DP from numbers I haven't saved? Yes. With My contacts selected, only people in your own contacts list can see your photo. Anyone else sees the default icon.
A note on ClickPing
If you want to message someone without saving their number, ClickPing opens a WhatsApp chat straight from the number, on Android and iPhone. It is made by Ping Apps Lab. Not affiliated with WhatsApp.