WhatsApp allows users to hide ‘online status’, announces new ‘Communities’ feature

It’s common for us to wish to check our WhatsApp privately without letting our contacts know.

While earlier users were able to only hide their ‘last seen’ status, the messaging platform is now permitting users to hide their ‘online’ indicator or choose whom they wish to share the status with.

Users can completely hide their last seen online status from all contacts, only unknown numbers, specific contacts, or from nobody. The feature will add a new ‘who can see when I’m online’ option under the last seen settings, with two options – ‘everyone’ and ‘same as last seen.’

Meet online presence 👋

Rolling out now is a feature we know you’ll love 💚

Decide who sees your online status 👀

Now you can chat with certain people without all your contacts knowing you’re there 🤫

Learn more: https://t.co/J9CrM3BNYO pic.twitter.com/mDNF3Qzdcv

— WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) November 2, 2022

The following steps will help you change it:

Android: Tap More options > Settings > Privacy.

iPhone: Tap Settings > Privacy.

KaiOS: Press Options > Settings > Account > Privacy.

Desktop: Click Menu > Settings > Privacy.

Just to note, if users don’t wish to share their last seen or online, they won’t be able to see other users statuses as well.

Meanwhile, WhatsApp also launched ‘Communities’, a new feature offering larger, more structured discussion groups. This will enable people to convene separate groups under one umbrella with a structure that works for them.

People can receive updates sent to the entire Community and easily organise smaller discussion groups on what matters to them. According to Meta’s Twitter handle, the company’s new feature will be available to everyone over the next few months.

To help organisations, clubs, schools, and other private groups better communicate, it brings more features like admin controls, support for sub-groups and announcement groups, 32-person voice and video calls, larger file sharing, emoji reactions, and polls.

Communities will also contain powerful new tools for admins, including announcement messages that are sent to everyone and control over which groups can be included.

Welcome to Communities 👋

Now admins can bring related groups together in one place to keep conversations organized.

Organized. Private. Connected 🤝 pic.twitter.com/u7ZSmrs7Ys

— WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) November 3, 2022

According to Statista, as of June 2022, WhatsApp had approximately two billion monthly active users, outranking WeChat with 1.2 billion users and Facebook Messenger at 988 million global users.