How to hide my online status on whatsapp iphone

How to Hide Your Online Status on WhatsApp (Android, iOS, and Web)

The Meta-owned messaging giant has been trying to make it easier to use WhatsApp on multiple devices (without internet on the primary device) and transfer WhatsApp chats from Android to iPhone. But, over the past year or so, users have started giving importance to privacy online. It has forced the company to rethink its privacy policy, and it’s now testing new features to fulfill these needs. Now, a common gripe most users have with WhatsApp is that you appear online even when you open the app for a split second. And it makes others think you are active and available to chat when that might not be the case. If you are facing this issue and want to appear offline on WhatsApp, it’s easier to do than you think. In this guide, we have explained how to hide your last seen and online status while chatting on WhatsApp. It will help safeguard your privacy and keep snoopy individuals at bay, so let’s get started.

We have explained the step-by-step process (with pictures) to turn off your last seen and online status on WhatsApp in this guide. We have even added an unofficial tool you can use to hide the online status on WhatsApp Web. Use the table below to check out the method suitable for your needs.

Table of Contents

How to Hide Last Seen on WhatsApp (Android)

Before you can hide your online status in the messaging app, you first need to learn how to turn off your last seen status on WhatsApp. And here’s what that process looks like:

1. Open WhatsApp and tap on the ellipses (three dot) icon at the top right corner. Then, select the “Settings” option.

2. Next, navigate to “Account -> Privacy” to access the last seen status setting.

3. Now, tap on the “Last seen and online” privacy setting. After that, select “Nobody” under the “Who can see my last seen” option to hide when you were last online on the messaging app from everyone.

Note: You can also select the “My contacts except. .” option if you wish the last seen time to be displayed to select people in your contacts list.

How to Hide Online Status on WhatsApp (Android)

Now that you know how to hide the last seen time on your WhatsApp account, you can also choose who can view whether you are online on the messaging app or not. Here’s how you can appear offline on WhatsApp for everyone but still continue to text whoever you like:

Note: The ability to hide your online status is only available to WhatsApp beta testers on Android and iOS at the moment. For this guide, we used WhatsApp version 2.22.21.12 on the OnePlus 9RT running Android 12.

On the same settings page as the “Last Seen” status, you will now see a new “Who can see when I’m online” option. You just need to select “Same as last seen” here.

And now, if you have selected “Nobody” as the “Last Seen” status, then no one will be able to see the “Online” text under your name in the chat window when using WhatsApp. This way, no one will be able to snoop on your online messaging activity and question why you are not replying to them even though you are active.

How to Hide Last Seen on WhatsApp (iPhone)

The steps to disable the last seen status in Meta’s messaging app on iPhone are pretty much the same as Android, so let’s look at how to go about it:

Open WhatsApp on your iPhone and tap on “Settings” in the bottom navigation bar. Then, move to the “Account” settings.

2. Next, move to “Privacy -> Last Seen & Online” under the “Account” settings.

Note: The “Last Seen & Online” setting and the option to hide them is only available in WhatsApp beta versions right now. You will only see the option to disable “Last Seen” on your device.

3. Finally, select “Nobody” under the “Who Can See My Last Seen” option to hide your activity on WhatsApp. Now, other users will not be able to see when you were last online and using the messaging app.

How to Hide Online Status on WhatsApp (iPhone)

Similar to the Android settings, you will have to select the “Same as last seen” option under the “Who can see when I’m online” section in the privacy settings. Note: Since this feature is only available to beta testers at the moment, we tried it out on WhatsApp beta version 2.22.20.75 on iPhone 11 running iOS 16.

Also, as you can see in the screenshot, WhatsApp mentions that disabling the last seen and online options for yourself would mean that you won’t be able to see the status of other users.

How to Hide Last Seen and Online on WhatsApp PC

Now, if you are someone who relies on WhatsApp Web to communicate with friends and family, there’s nothing to worry about, as you can turn off your last seen and online status there as well. On your Mac, Linux, or Windows PC, here’s how you can hide the last seen status:

Hide Last Seen Status on WhatsApp Web

1. WhatsApp Web includes an official way to disable the last seen status, and it is similar to the Android and iPhone versions. So, open the web app, click the three dot (ellipses) icon and select “Settings” from the dropdown.

2. Then, click on “Privacy” under the Settings menu.

3. After that, head to the “Last seen” privacy setting.

4. Next, as we did in the Android and iOS sections, select “Nobody” under the “Last Seen” setting to stop sharing the exact time when you last opened WhatsApp to check your messages.

Hide Online Status on WhatsApp Web

5. Now, the ability to hide your online status is yet to officially reach the web version of WhatsApp, but you can use a third-party tool for the time being. So let’s take a look at how it works.

6. First, download the WA Web Plus for WhatsApp extension from the Chrome Web Store (visit). It’s a popular Chrome extension with a stellar 4. 6 rating and 21,000 reviews. Click the “Add to Chrome” button to install the extension.

7. Once the extension is installed, click the “Extension” icon to the right of the address bar and select “WA Web Plus for WhatsApp” from the dropdown menu.

8. The extension settings will now open up. Under the “Enhancements” tab, enable the “Hide online status (Invisible Mode)” option to appear offline while chatting. You can also enable the “Hide typing status” to further make your activity private on WhatsApp.

Note: It takes a couple of seconds for the extension to become active after you open WhatsApp Web on your desktop, so you will appear online for a second or two. We suggest you wait a little before you go ahead and start typing messages to your contacts.

And that’s it. People will no longer see the “Online” tag under your contact name when you are using the messaging app. They would not even see the typing indicator if you enable the said feature and use the web app for all communication purposes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does online on WhatsApp mean they are talking to someone?

The online status under a contact’s name indicates that they are currently using WhatsApp, but it doesn’t explicitly mean they are talking to someone. They could have just left the messaging app open on their phone. Or could be checking Status updates, setting up fingerprint lock on WhatsApp, and more.

Can I hide when I’m online on WhatsApp?

WhatsApp not only allows you to disable your last seen status but hide your online status as well. That means you can use the messaging app without worrying about others seeing you are active on WhatsApp.

Learn How to Appear Offline on WhatsApp

So yeah, these are all the methods you can use to prevent someone from seeing that you are online on WhatsApp in 2022. You can uphold your privacy while chatting on the messaging app and appear offline to all users. However, remember that you will also not be able to view their online status once you enable this privacy setting. Though, you can always retrace your steps to turn off the feature. Also, we suggest using the WhatsApp Web extension to hide your online status right now instead of waiting for the feature to graduate out of beta. So, did this guide prove helpful for you? Let us know in the comments below.

How to Hide Your Online Status on WhatsApp

You can hide online status on WhatsApp — known as Last Seen — in your Privacy settings.
Choose whether only your contacts or nobody should see your Last Seen status.
You can also choose to exclude certain people from seeing your Last Seen status.

If you use WhatsApp regularly, chances are you've spotted the login status next to the name of some of your contacts.

Though WhatsApp makes your online status visible to everyone by default, you can easily change it.

WhatsApp online status

WhatsApp online status allows users to see the last time their contacts were active on the platform and whether they are currently using the app.

When someone is online, it doesn't necessarily mean they've seen your message — it simply means they're currently using the app.

Last Seen refers to the last time the person used WhatsApp and also doesn't mean that they have seen your most recent message. The only way to tell if someone has seen your message is the blue check marks beside the message.

If you don't want your WhatsApp contacts to know your Last Seen or online status, you can easily hide your status from everyone, make it available to only your contacts, or exclude certain contacts from seeing it through the app's settings.

Note: When you hide your own WhatsApp online status, you also can't view other people's statuses.

The steps to hide your Last Seen or online status on Whatsapp are simple:

1. Open WhatsApp on your phone and head to the settings.

2. Open the account settings, and then head to the privacy settings.

3. Go to the Last Seen settings.

4. Tap either My Contacts, My Contacts Except, or Nobody to choose how you want to hide your Last Seen status.

Here's the full guide on how to hide your online status on WhatsApp.

How to hide WhatsApp online status

1. Open WhatsApp on your iPhone or Android.

2. Go to your WhatsApp settings.

On iPhone, tap Settings – the gear icon – in the bottom right corner.

Tap the gear icon to access WhatsApp's settings on iPhone. Stefan Ionescu

On Android, tap the More icon – the three vertical dots – in the top right corner, and then select Settings in the menu.

Tap the three vertical dots to access WhatsApp's settings on Android. Stefan Ionescu

3. In Settings, tap Account.

4. On the Account page, tap Privacy.

5. Tap Last Seen to change your online status.

Tap "Last Seen." Stefan Ionescu

6. You have two options to hide your online or Last Seen status — you can choose for only My Contacts to see your status or for Nobody to see your status.

You can also choose My Contacts Except and select people from your contacts list who you don't want to see your "Last Seen" status. Then, tap Done in the top right corner on iPhone or the check mark in the bottom right corner on Android.

Note: While hiding your Last Seen means people won't be able to see when you were last online, it will still show them when you're currently online.

7. Once you've made a selection, your online or Last Seen status will be visible to just your contacts, no one at all, or the contacts you didn't exclude, depending on your selection.

Meira Gebel

Meira Gebel is a freelance reporter based in Portland, Oregon. She writes about business, culture, and technology for Insider. Her work has been featured in Digital Trends, Willamette Week, USA Today, and more. She is a graduate of Columbia Journalism School and San Francisco State University. Feel free to reach out to her on Twitter, where she can be found most of the time, @MeiraGebel.

How to hide online in whatsapp on iphone

Hidden WhatsApp, or how to hide the visiting time by turning on the "Invisible" mode

Any adult enough can remember his delight at the advent of SMS technology. Then it seemed the limit of perfection of telecommunication technologies. After all, each person could send an instant message to his friend from anywhere. The evolution of technology did not stop there. WhatsApp is considered to be another breakthrough in the field of mobile messaging. But this messenger has not become a convenient solution for everyone.

Is it good that people can see when you were last online? Providing such information to everyone in a row can be considered an invasion of privacy. Many would like to disable this feature.

How to hide online visits in WhatsApp and disable delivery (read) reports ".

It's very easy to hide your online status on WhatsApp. Follow the step by step instructions below.

1. Open the WhatsApp application.

2. Change to menu "Settings" .

3. Select "Account" .

4. Click on item "Privacy" .

5. In the list, find the line "Was there" and click on it. In the next window, select parameter Nobody .

Unfortunately, this setting is generic. It is not possible to set the option to display your online status for a specific user.

And if you're already in this menu, it's worth taking a few minutes to check your other privacy settings. This is where you can set them up. These include profile photo visibility, details, status, and location.

In addition, in menu "Confidentiality" there is an option to turn off the known two blue checkmarks confirming that the message has been read. After all, with their help, you can accurately determine the appearance of a user on the Web, even if his online status has been disabled. You can increase your security simply by scrolling down the screen in the same section of parameter Read reports in which the switch must be set to Off .

Getting rid of tracking in WhatsApp: what settings do we need to change

In the factory settings of WhatsApp, the display of the time and date of the last visit is enabled for all users of the service. However, users have the right to disable this time when there is such a need: if, for example, you do not want someone to follow you. How to do it on different mobile platforms? What methods exist?

How to hide the visit time in WhatsApp in the program settings

Showing the time of the last visit is disabled free of charge in the regular settings of the messenger.

However, in this case, you lose the right to see the time of visiting other users of the service.

Another important point is that by hiding the time, you will not turn off the display of the “Online” and “Printing” statuses.

On an Android smartphone

Where to go and what to change to turn off the time in the messenger on Android:

Run the utility - immediately tap on the three dots in the upper right corner. In the white menu, click on "Settings".

In the messenger menu, tap on "Settings"

Expand the first block with "Account" parameters.

Click on the first line "Account"

Go to the section to configure privacy.

Go to the "Privacy" block

Click on the parameter "Visiting time".

Expand the Visit Time item to change the default value

In the new small box, highlight the desired value: "My Contacts" or "Nobody". In the first case, the time and date of your last visit will be visible to people from your phone book. In the second, the information will not be shown to any user.

Put either "My contacts" or "No one"

Video: remove the time of the last visit in the WhatsApp settings on Android

On an iOS phone

The WhatsApp interface is different for Android and iOS, so for Apple phones the instructions will be separate:

Go to the last tab "Settings" on the bottom panel with section names. Expand the item for account settings.

Go to the "Account" section

Open the first "Privacy" menu.

Click on the first item "Privacy"

Tap on the line "Time of visit".

Expand the Visit Time option

Check the box to the right of My Contacts or Nobody.

Click on the third value "No one"

In the "Privacy" menu, you can also deactivate read reports - the interlocutors will not see that you have read their message.

You can optionally turn off read receipts so that users do not know whether you have read their messages or not

Video: how to hide visiting time in WhatsApp on iPhone

Another way to turn off the time is to block one or more contacts ”, add it to the black list. This method disables the display of time pointwise - for certain users of the service. In this case, you will see information from other users, but you will not be able to contact the contact that you have blocked through this messenger until you remove it from the black list.

The user will not receive any notification that you have blocked them. He will be able to guess about the bath only by indirect signs.

A blocked contact has no right to know when you last logged into WhatsApp tap on the line "Blocked".

Go to the "Blocked" section

The list may already show some users that you previously blacklisted. Click on the profile with a plus at the top right. Select the contact you want to block from the list.

Click on the plus at the top to add a contact from the address book to the black list

Or, directly in the dialog with the user, tap on the icon with three dots at the top right and in the menu give the command "Block".

You can ban a person directly in the chat menu

On the iPhone

How to add a person to the black list on iOS:

Go to the "Privacy" block in the settings (in the "Account" section). Open the currently empty "Blocked" list.

Go to the section with blocked users in the "Privacy" section

Click on the "Add new" link.

Tap on "Add new" and find the desired contact in the list

In the list of your contacts, find and select the person to whom you do not want to show the time of your last visit. If the person is not in your address book on your phone, tap on the phone number in the correspondence with the contact and on the next page click on "Block".

Go to the person's profile in WhatsApp and click on the "Block contact" option there. Its disadvantage is that you will not see the time of visits of your contacts. If you want to disable the display of your visit time for specific contacts, you will have to block them. You will not be able to send messages and call them while they are on your black list.

How to hide online status in WhatsApp on iPhone

WhatsApp invisible status allows you to hide your time spent in the messenger and hide from interlocutors. There are privacy settings on the iPhone, with their help you can hide your account information. In the instructions, we will consider how to hide online in WhatsApp on iPhone, what parameters can still be hidden.

Why hide your status

Why hide your WhatsApp status on iPhone? The function is useful for people who do not want the interlocutors to see the time of the last presence in the network. You can view it during the correspondence and in the contact card.

Chatting in stealth mode on WhatsApp is free. To configure, you will have to go to the item with privacy and disable several options. The option is available anytime, on new and old iPhones.

How to remove your online status on WhatsApp on iPhone

Step by step guide on how to turn off Last Online Time on WhatsApp on iPhone:

Click on the gear.
Open account settings.
Tap on the line with privacy settings.
Click on "Been" and select "No one".

Using the default settings, you can quickly hide your online time. The interlocutors will no longer see the "Online" icon and will not learn about the last time the messenger was launched.

The function is also available on Android. To do this, open the menu, go to the account settings. In the privacy menu there is an item "Online", it needs to be changed.

What else can be hidden from the interlocutor

In the "Privacy" section, you can not only delete the time of the last visit, but also hide other account settings. What else can be hidden from friends in the messenger:

message read reports;
geodata;
status;
information; ;
select people who can send group invitations.

Important. If the iPhone is synchronized with the computer, the settings will be applied automatically. The interlocutor will not see the time of the last exit online and will not know if you are using the messenger now.

Cons of disabling Online mode in WhatsApp

Removing Online in WhatsApp on iPhone will be free. The function is already in the menu and is available to owners of all iPhone models. Only the design of the interface and the location of the buttons can differ, it depends on the version of the messenger.

What are the disadvantages of the activated option? Not only your time is removed, but also data about the interlocutors. If you need to see when a friend went online, you will have to go back to the menu and set the value to “All” in the “Was (a)” section.

How to hide online in WhatsApp on iPhone is now clear. If you are ready to put up with the minuses, activate the option and turn off your profile data. You can turn on the display of the visit time again at any time. The number of activations and deactivations of the parameter per day is not limited.

How to hide visiting time in Whatsapp: on Android or iPhone

Other WhatsApp users can see when you were online, photos and other information. Ways to remove visiting time in Watsap are of interest to many users of the messenger. The reasons for hiding your status may be different. What is the best way to do this?

Privacy settings

Launch the application on your device and go to the settings section. Among all categories, go to "Account" , and there expand item "Privacy" . Here, carefully consider section "Visibility of personal data" . By adjusting the settings from there, you can hide the visiting time. In addition, there are other interesting installations. Let's deal with everything in more detail.

Setting features

There are several options for setting the privacy settings.

If you select " All ", then the status and time of the last visit will be available to each WhatsApp user in whose list you are listed.
" My contacts " will allow you to send information only to those who are listed in your phone book.
If you set " Nobody ", then both the photo and the status will not be displayed for anyone.

Read also: How to install WhatsApp on the phone

The last option helps answer the question of how to hide online in WhatsApp. It is important to note that when you set these settings, you will not only hide the time of your visit, but you will also not be able to view similar information about other users.

If you want to hide your status from individual users, you can simply block them in the messenger. This will not affect the presence of the contact number in the phone book, and it will be available in other applications and for calls through a mobile operator.

At the same time, WhatsApp will not be able to contact him if you do not remove him from the "black" list. Blocked numbers can be viewed in section "Privacy" . Here, if necessary, you can change the settings.

Initially, after installing WhatsApp on any phone, the user is shown the time and date when he last visited the service. If you do not like this option, you are afraid that someone will track your visits, turn off this option yourself in the settings of the program itself.

Hide visit time in WhatsApp

We immediately warn you that by turning off the specified option in the messenger, you will not be able to view the visit time of other users later.

Also remember that even if you remove the date and time of the last visit, the status "Online" and "Printing" will still be displayed in your profile and dialogs with other users.

We will separate the instructions for iOS and Android, since the WhatsApp shells are different for these two platforms.

For an Android phone

Expand the general menu of the messenger at the top right - click on the dots. Select the last item with the program settings.

Go to the program settings

Click on the line "Account"

In the section we are interested in the item "Privacy"

Go to the parameter "Visiting time"

Set either "No one" or "My contacts"

hide the time of visits to WhatsApp on iOS

What will be the course of the procedure if you have an iPhone:

In the WhatsApp interface on iOS, the panel with the main sections is located at the bottom - tap on the gear on it. Scroll down the list to the "Accounting" menu.

Go to the "Account" menu

Go to change privacy settings

Click on the item "Visiting time"

Select the second or third line in the menu

the option to turn off the time display is to blacklist one or several people at once.

However, you can use this method only if you do not intend to continue dialogue with these people. They will not know that you have banned them (no notifications are sent to subscribers about this). The only thing they will suspect is that you added them to the black list - there are several signs of a ban.

The advantage of this method is that you can continue to view the visit time of other users. Blocking is a quick procedure. It is enough to call the dialogue menu with the user (three dots at the top right in the chat itself) and click on "Block". You can also ban through the subscriber profile itself (opened by clicking on the phone number).

After blocking the user, you will not receive messages from him - in his dialog they will appear as undelivered

The standard method to remove the time of your last visits is to go to the settings of the mobile utility. The required parameter is located in the “Privacy” section in the “accounting” settings. The second (already workaround) way is to add one or more users with whom you are not going to communicate to the ban, that is, block it completely in the messenger.

Many users are wondering how to remove visiting time in Whatsapp. This can be understood, because this function often affects privacy negatively. Fortunately, the answer to the question " How to hide online status? » is easy - for this you should use the application settings.

More about the status

The application automatically sets privacy settings, according to which all contacts can see not only profile photos, read reports, details, but also the time of the last visit. The status “ Was… ” allows you to track the approximate time of the last entry into the chat. Unlike the " Online " status, you can hide it.

Changing the visibility of the status does not require installation of third-party software. Although, more advanced users do not neglect this and use programs like Hidewhatsapp status and Whatsapp Ghost. Such applications allow you not to show the time of the last visit at all.

Important! After hiding the time of your visit, it will not be possible to track the time that another user entered Whatsapp

How to hide the time of visiting on Android

How to turn off visit time for Android users in WhatsApp? To do this:

Download the latest version of WhatsApp on your Android phone for free

Open " Settings ".
Select the " Account " tab.
Go to subsection " Privacy ".
Click on the first line " Visit time " and select one of the options: my contacts, everyone, nobody.
Restart the application.

In the same subsection, you can disable the read report. In this case, the ability to see read reports from other users disappears. This feature cannot be applied to group chats.

How can I archive and unarchive a WhatsApp chat?

How to become invisible in WhatsApp on iPhone

Users of mobile devices based on the IOS operating system can also hide the visiting time in WhatsApp, for this you need:

Go to WhatsApp settings (click on the wheel icon).
Select " Account ".
Select the parameter " Account ".
Click on " Visit time " and change the settings. After activating the desired option, return to the main Whatsapp window. The selection will be saved automatically.

It will not be possible to contact the interlocutor in WhatsApp as long as he is on the “black list”. All previously blocked contacts can be found in the category " Privacy ".

How to hide the visit time in WhatsApp in the program settings

Showing the time of the last visit is disabled free of charge in the regular settings of the messenger. However, at the same time, you lose the right to see the time of visiting other users of the service. Another important point - by hiding the time, you will not turn off the display of the "Online" and "Printing" statuses.