You Can Soon Hide Your Online Status on WhatsApp: Here’s How to Do It

WhatsApp is one of the most widely used messaging platforms worldwide with a massive user base in India. The Meta-owned messaging forum has been working on new features to take on the competition. One such new feature spotted recently is the ability to hide your online status on WhatsApp.

You Can Hide WhatsApp Online Status Soon

Meta has been emphasizing on privacy and security of users for all its platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. When it comes to WhatsApp, a couple of privacy-centric features were announced recently.

This includes quiet exit from WhatsApp groups, blocking screenshots of view-once media, and also hiding online status. The WhatsApp Beta testers have spotted the feature to hide their online status with the version 2.22.20.9 update on Android.

According to WABetaInfo, select beta testers are now getting access to hide their online status on WhatsApp. To recall, this feature was initially spotted for iOS users and later on Android. Now the beta testers have received the feature on Android phones only.

How to Hide WhatsApp Online Status?

The latest WhatsApp beta allows users to hide their online status with a few easy steps. Here's how to do it:

Step 1: Open WhatsApp Settings > Account

Step 2: Now select the Privacy tab > tap on the Last Seen and Online option

Step 3: Here, you can find settings for your Last Seen status as well as the Online status

Step 4: Here, the Last Seen options include Everyone, My Contacts, My Contacts except, and Nobody. Online Status options include Same as Last Seen or Everyone

Sept 5: Users have to select Nobody in Last Seen and then select Same as Last Seen for Online Status

It would have been better if WhatsApp provided similar options as Last Seen for the Online Status. Despite the minor drawback, it's good to see WhatsApp paying attention to users' privacy. Since this feature is still in beta, one can expect more tweaks before a wider rollout for all users.