What you need to know
- WhatsApp is working on a new privacy feature.
- A future update should prevent people from seeing when you're online.
- This feature has long been a heavily requested one.
WhatsApp is working on a new feature that will allow people to hide their online status from everyone, a feature that it should arguably have had for some time now.
The vital privacy improvement is now being developed according to a WABetaInfo report, although it isn't yet ready for beta testing let alone release to the App Store.
With the new feature enabled, users will have more control over who can see when they are actively using WhatsApp, something that isn't currently offered. It's also a feature that users have been requesting for some time now.
As you can see in this screenshot, it will be possible to configure who can see when we are online right within our last seen settings thanks to two new options: "Everyone" and "Same as Last Seen". For example, if you choose "My contacts" for "Last Seen" and "Same as Last Seen" for "online", it means non-contacts won't be able to see when you're online.
WhatsApp already prevents people you don't know from seeing your Last Seen information, but that's no good for people who want to hide their online status entirely. This new change, once implemented, will deal with that once and for all.
Unfortunately, there is no telling when one of the best iPhone instant messaging apps will gain a vital privacy feature that should already be there. Hopefully it's one that won't take too much development and is available sooner rather than later.
Those who don't yet have WhatsApp installed can download it from the App Store for free right now. It's a great tool for staying in touch with friends and family who use Android devices — although it's probably time you get them to switch to iPhone instead!
