How to hide online status on whatsapp
How to hide online status on whatsapp
Users are increasingly aware of the exposure to their privacy on WhatsApp. You appear online to your contacts just by opening a message, and that can give people the false impression that you are available to chat whenever you use the app. But a little trick that can help is to turn off your online status on WhatsApp.
If you are looking for a way to hide your online status on WhatsApp, you have come to the right place. This article will give you everything you need to know about this trick whether you are accessing WhatsApp on PC, iPhone or Android user.
How to hide your last seen status in WhatsApp on iPhone
WhatsApp "Last Seen" status allows users to see when others were last online on the app and whether they were currently using the form or not. As convenient as possible for some users, it is a major privacy concern for others. Turning off your online status is the first logical step to protecting your privacy.
Note, however, that after disabling "Last Seen" status, you will also not be able to see the online status of your contacts.
If you are an iPhone user and want to hide your online status on the app, follow the steps below.
Launch WhatsApp.
Hide your Last Seen status by tapping Nobody. You can choose My Contacts if you only want your contacts to see your status, or People if you want everyone to see your Last Seen status.
How to Hide Your Last Seen Status in WhatsApp on Android Device
People often want to hide their online status to keep some privacy for themselves. If you want to text WhatsApp incognito mode, you can do it on your Android device. Just follow the steps below.
Launch WhatsApp.
Select Settings and go to Accounts.
Tap Last Viewed and select None if you want to completely hide your online status. Tap My Contacts if you only want your contacts to see your online status.
How to hide your online status in WhatsApp from PC
If you use WhatsApp on PC, you are probably using the web version of WhatsApp. This version does not allow online status changes through the settings page like on smartphones.
Instead, you need to install a plugin for your browser. Assuming you're using Chrome, there are two plugins you can use. Just follow the steps below.
Go to the Chrome Web Store and search for the WAIncognito extension.
Install an extension to use WhatsApp without appearing online.
You can also install a plugin called WA Web Plus. Simply add the plugin to your Chrome, access WhatsApp Web as usual and follow the steps below:
If the changes don't apply immediately, simply reload the WhatsApp Web app.
Additional FAQs
Here are some more helpful answers to your WhatsApp privacy questions.
Can I chat while offline on WhatsApp?
Yes! You can use two helpful tricks to read and reply to WhatsApp messages and still appear offline.
The first is the most direct and involves replying to messages via the notification panel:
- For iPhone users, simply swipe the message from your notification panel to the left, select the option to display and reply.
- For Android, tap the message on the Notification panel, select the Reply button, and send the message.
If you accidentally delete a message preview, you can scroll down from the top of the screen to view unread notifications, hold the conversation in question, and tap the Reply button.
The method of replying to a second message while offline is related to airplane mode. You turn on airplane mode, and it allows you to read messages without appearing online. This way, your last recorded online time on WhatsApp is the time before you turned on airplane mode. It's a pretty cool feature, except that it prevents you from receiving new messages when it's turned on.
Here are the detailed steps on how to do this trick:
1. Switch your device to airplane mode.
2. Launch WhatsApp and open the chat where you want to send a new message.
3. Enter a message and press the Send button.
4. Turn off airplane mode. The recipient will receive your message without you appearing online.
Now you know two methods to help you chat without appearing online. Please use the quick reply option when you know the person will continue to text you more if they think you are online. If there's a message you need to reply to but want to avoid being seen online, you can always turn on airplane mode.
Can I see others when my status is hidden on WhatsApp?
In WhatsApp settings you can change your online status so that everyone can see, only contacts or no one. If you set your status to No one, no one will be able to see your Last Seen status, but you won't be able to see other people's online status either.
If you choose the My Contacts setting, you'll be able to see when your contacts are online and they can also know when you're online.
Can I hide my status for specific contacts on WhatsApp?
You can hide your status updates for certain contacts by following the steps below:
For iPhone users:
1. Launch WhatsApp on your iPhone and visit the page Setting.
2. Go to Accounts, then Privacy.
3. Go to the Status section and tap My Contacts Except...
4. Check the circle next to the contact(s) whose status update you want to hide.
5 . Tap Done when you're done.
For Android users:
1. Launch WhatsApp on your phone and go to the three-dot menu at the top right of the screen.
2. Tap Settings from the drop-down menu.
3. Go to Accounts.
4. Go to Privacy, then Status.
5 . Select the option My Contacts Except....
6. Tap the circle box next to the contacts whose status update you want to hide.
7 . Tap the green circle at the bottom right to confirm.
Please note that these steps will only hide your status updates from specific contacts. They won't hide your last seen status.
You can hide your Last Seen status from Everyone, My Contacts or Nobody. Currently, there is no feature that only hides the online status of specific contacts.
If you want to prevent a specific contact from seeing your online status, you need to block them from your account. That person won't then be able to see your Last Viewed status or other personal information like your profile picture, story, or anything else associated with your account.
Here's how to block a contact:
1. Launch WhatsApp on your phone.
2 . Tap the conversation with the person you want to block.
3. Tap the person's name at the top of the screen and select Block.
4. Select Block at the prompt to finish.
WhatsApp Chat Gone Incognito
Hiding your online status has many benefits. You won't feel rushed to reply to a message as soon as you read it. Meanwhile, scrolling through the app late at night when you just want to relax doesn't make it easy to get constant messages from your contacts and your overall privacy is higher. This article has shared everything there is to know when hiding your online status on WhatsApp. I hope you can use some of what you've learned.
What are the main reasons why you want to hide your online status on WhatsApp? Share your opinion in the comments below.