WhatsApp does not show online status for everyone by default. Users have the option to hide their online status and last seen time from specific contacts or everyone. So you may not be able to see when some of your contacts are online on WhatsApp.
Online Status Privacy Settings
WhatsApp provides three options for online status privacy:
- Everyone – Your online status is visible to all your contacts
- My Contacts – Your online status is only visible to your contacts in your address book
- Same as Last Seen – Your online status has the same visibility as your last seen privacy setting
To change your online status setting on WhatsApp:
- Open WhatsApp and tap on the More options (three dots) icon
- Go to Settings > Account > Privacy
- Tap on Last seen & online
- Select one of the three options for Who can see my online status
If someone has set their online status visibility to My Contacts or Same as Last Seen, you will not be able to see when they are online on WhatsApp.
Last Seen Privacy Settings
WhatsApp also gives users three options for last seen privacy:
- Everyone – Your last seen time is visible to all your contacts
- My Contacts – Your last seen time is only visible to your contacts
- Nobody – Your last seen time is hidden from everyone
If someone has set their last seen to My Contacts or Nobody, you will not see their last seen time in your chat with them. And if they have set online status to Same as Last Seen, you will also not be able to see when they are online.
To change your last seen setting on WhatsApp:
- Open WhatsApp and tap More options > Settings > Account > Privacy
- Tap Last seen & online
- Select one of the three options for Who can see my last seen
Read Receipts
In addition to online status and last seen, WhatsApp also gives users control over read receipts, which show when a message has been read.
You have two options for read receipts privacy:
- Everyone – Read receipts are sent to all your individual and group chats
- My Contacts – Read receipts are only sent to your contacts
If someone has set read receipts to My Contacts, you will not be able to see when they have read your messages.
To manage your read receipts setting:
- Go to WhatsApp Settings > Account > Privacy
- Tap Read receipts
- Choose Everyone or My Contacts
Why Online Status is Hidden
WhatsApp does not show online status for everyone by default for user privacy. Many people do not want others to know exactly when they are using WhatsApp.
Some reasons users may hide their online status and last seen time include:
- Avoid looking like they are available or ignoring someone
- Prevent someone from knowing their schedule or activities
- Appear offline when they want to avoid conversations
- Keep their online activities private from colleagues, employers, clients, etc.
The ability to hide your presence on WhatsApp gives users more control over their availability and privacy.
Who Can See Your Online Status
Even if you hide your online status, there are some contacts who can still see when you are online on WhatsApp:
- You – You can always see your own online status and last seen time
- Official WhatsApp contacts – WhatsApp numbers used for support can see your status
- Unauthorized apps – Third-party apps may still show your status against WhatsApp terms
So be aware that even if you hide your online status, it may still be visible to some contacts on WhatsApp.
Seeing Someone’s Online Status
If you cannot see when a contact is online on WhatsApp, there are a few options:
- Ask them to change their online status setting to Everyone or My Contacts
- Check if their last seen setting is hiding their status
- See if read receipts are disabled for you
- Try a third party online status app, but this violates WhatsApp’s terms
- Realize they may want privacy, so avoid nagging them about their status
If online status is important to you, have a polite discussion with the contact about why you want them to be visible online. But respect their privacy if they do not want to change their settings.
Online Status is Not Reliable
It is important to remember that WhatsApp’s online status indicator is not always 100% accurate. Here are some cases where online status can be misleading:
- A contact may be online but show offline due to a technical glitch
- The app may be running in the background but the user is not actively using it
- The status may display online for a few minutes after a user goes offline
- A user may have manually changed their status to show offline
- Third party apps may spoof online status
So do not assume a contact is blatantly ignoring you just because WhatsApp shows them as online. The status indicator is not a guaranteed way to know if someone is available for communication or not.
Respecting Privacy
Ultimately, users hide their online status and last seen time on WhatsApp for more privacy and control over their availability. As a user, you should respect people’s choices to keep their status private from you.
Do not harass contacts to reveal their status against their will. Instead, focus on the conversations you are having rather than obsessively tracking whether people are online. A hidden status does not always mean someone is ignoring you.
If online status is very important to you in a particular relationship, have an open discussion about it. But be prepared to accept that other user’s privacy preferences may differ from yours.