Check your WhatsApp status, About line, or group description against the limits with the counter above.
WhatsApp Character Limits in 2026
| Field | Limit |
|---|---|
| About / status line | 139 characters |
| Message | 65,536 characters |
| Group subject (name) | 100 characters |
| Group description | 2,048 characters |
| Display name | 25 characters |
Limits verified as of July 2026. Platforms change limits occasionally — if you spot one that moved, let us know.
139 Characters to Say Who You Are
The About line is capped at 139 characters and shows in chats, groups, and contact cards — for a business, it is effectively a free ad. “Open Mon–Sat 9–6 · Fast replies · Jakarta” tells people more than “Hey there! I am using WhatsApp.”
Practical Tips
- Messages are effectively unlimited (65,536 characters), but long broadcasts get skimmed — put the call to action in the first two lines.
- Group descriptions (2,048 chars) are shown to every invitee: state the group's purpose and rules up front, because nobody reads them later.
- Group names truncate in chat lists — keep the identifying part of the name in the first ~25 characters.
- Status updates disappear in 24 hours; short text over an image gets far more views than paragraphs.
Why does my About text get rejected?
It is over 139 characters — WhatsApp will not save it. Count it here first, and remember emoji count toward the limit too.
Do emoji count toward WhatsApp's limits?
Yes — every emoji consumes at least one character of the 139-character About budget, and some count as two or more. With this little space, emoji work best as separators, not decoration.
Why does my group description get cut off?
The full 2,048 characters are stored, but group info screens show only the first few lines until members tap to expand. Put the rule or link you actually need seen in the first sentence.