WhatsApp May Soon Show Which Contacts Are Online in One Place

WhatsApp is working on a new feature that could change how you start conversations on the app. According to a report by WABetaInfo, the company is developing a way to show which of your contacts are currently online, all in one place.

Right now, if you want to check whether someone is online, you have to open their chat individually. It works, but it’s not the quickest way, especially if you’re trying to reach someone who’s available right away. This upcoming feature looks like WhatsApp’s attempt to simplify that.

A New Contacts Hub With Real-Time Activity

The feature is being developed as part of a broader “contacts hub.” This section is expected to give users a clearer overview of their contacts, including who is currently active.

Once available, users will be able to see a list of contacts who are online at a glance. The list can also be sorted, either alphabetically or based on availability. If you choose to sort by online status, active contacts will appear at the top, followed by others based on their last seen time.

This means someone who was online a few minutes ago will show up before someone who was last active earlier.

Suggestions for Adding Contacts

Another part of this feature focuses on contact suggestions. WhatsApp may prompt users to save numbers they frequently interact with but haven’t added to their address book yet.

These suggestions can include people from group chats or contacts you message individually without saving. The idea seems to be to make your contact list more complete over time, based on how you actually use the app.

Privacy Settings Still Apply

WhatsApp isn’t changing how privacy works with this feature. Visibility will still depend on each user’s settings.

If a contact has hidden their last seen, they won’t appear in the list based on that data. They’ll only show up if they are currently online. And if someone has also hidden their online status, they won’t appear in the list at all.

So while the feature adds convenience, it still respects the privacy controls users already have in place.

Still in Development

For now, this feature is still under development and not available to beta testers yet. WhatsApp is continuing to refine how the online list will work and where it will appear within the app.

Once ready, it’s expected to roll out in a future update, likely starting with beta users before a wider release.