There are a few possible reasons why someone could appear online on WhatsApp but not read your message:
They have read receipts turned off
The most likely explanation is that they have read receipts turned off in their WhatsApp settings. This means that even though they are shown as online in the app, you won’t be able to see when they have read your message.
To turn off read receipts in WhatsApp:
- Open WhatsApp and go to Settings
- Tap Account > Privacy
- Turn off ‘Read receipts’
With read receipts off, you won’t be able to tell when someone has seen your message, even if they are shown as online in the chat.
They read your message from the notification
Another possibility is that the person read your message directly from the notification without opening WhatsApp. On both iOS and Android devices, you can view message notifications and even quick reply without actually launching the app.
So if you see the person online but your message remains unread, it could be because they read and maybe even replied to your message from the notification screen without going into the WhatsApp app.
They are using WhatsApp Web
If someone has WhatsApp linked up to WhatsApp Web on their computer, they can view and send messages from there without needing to open the app on their phone. So even if they appear online on your phone, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are actively using the app on their device.
Messages read and sent from WhatsApp Web will still show as unread on your phone until the person opens WhatsApp on their phone. This allows them to be online and active on WhatsApp without marking your message as read.
Their phone is on but they aren’t using WhatsApp
It’s also possible the person has their phone turned on with WhatsApp running in the background but isn’t actually using the app. As long as the app is open, even in the background, their online status will show as active.
So they may be busy doing something else on their phone and haven’t gotten around to reading your message yet. Give it some time and check back later to see if they’ve read it.
Their phone lost connectivity briefly
If someone is in an area with poor internet connectivity, their WhatsApp may temporarily disconnect from the servers before coming back online shortly after.
During the disconnected period your message will remain unread. But once they regain connectivity, their online status will reappear without the message being marked as read.
They are intentionally ignoring you
In some cases, the person may have actually read your message but chosen not to mark it as read for whatever reason. While sending read receipts is optional, some people intentionally don’t open messages to avoid signaling that they’ve seen it.
If this seems out of character and occurs frequently, they may be intentionally ignoring you for some reason.
If you suspect this is the case, it’s best to just directly ask them about it or have an honest conversation to clear up any misunderstandings.
How to tell if someone has read your message
To get a definitive answer, here are some ways to check if someone has actually read your WhatsApp message:
- Look for the “Read” text below the message which means they have opened the chat and seen the message.
- See if they have responded to your message or reacted with an emoji.
- Check if the message has two gray ticks indicating it was delivered and read.
- See if they mention something from the message in a later chat.
- Call them directly and ask if they got your message.
If none of these signs are present, it’s likely they genuinely haven’t read your message even if shown as online in WhatsApp.
Reasons someone may avoid reading your WhatsApp message
Here are some common reasons why someone might intentionally avoid opening and reading your message on WhatsApp:
- They are busy and don’t have time for a conversation
- They don’t feel like talking or are in a bad mood
- Your message requires a long response they can’t provide now
- They want to talk in person instead of over text
- They are upset with you or avoiding confrontation
- They intend to reply later when they have time
- They want to keep their online status hidden from you
If this is happening a lot, have an open discussion with them to understand why and how you can communicate better going forward.
How to keep your online status private on WhatsApp
If you want to avoid others seeing when you’re online and reading messages on WhatsApp, here are a few tips:
- Turn off ‘Last Seen’ in WhatsApp settings so nobody can see your last active time.
- Enable ‘Ignore Archived Chats’ to exclude archived chats from ‘Online’ status.
- Don’t directly open a chat from notifications to prevent ‘Online’ and ‘Read’ signals.
- Set chats to ‘Disappear’ mode so messages vanish after a time period.
- Use WhatsApp briefly in airplane mode to stop upload of online data.
Keep in mind others may still infer you’ve read their message based on your responses, so use these privacy tools judiciously.
Conclusion
While it can be frustrating to see someone online but not read your message, there are many valid reasons it can happen on WhatsApp. Don’t immediately assume they are purposely ignoring you.
If it occurs repeatedly, openly communicating with them is better than guessing or making assumptions. And respect their right to use privacy settings like disabling read receipts if they prefer.
With some understanding of how WhatsApp messaging works, you can better interpret situations when your messages are left unread.