WhatsApp’s New Online Status Dot Hides Where Users Never Look
What You Need to Know
- WhatsApp testing green dot indicator on iOS showing when contacts are currently active in app.
- Green dot currently appears only in chat info screen, not in chat list or conversations.
- Feature respects privacy settings and won’t display for contacts who hide their online status.
- Upcoming Contacts screen expected to make green dot more discoverable than current buried placement.
The part WhatsApp isn’t leading with: the green dot is currently limited to the chat info screen, which is a buried tap away from where users actually spend their time.
WhatsApp is testing a green dot indicator for iOS that shows when a contact is currently active in the app. The feature is live for some testers on iOS beta version 26.26.10.72 via TestFlight, and was first spotted by WABetaInfo.
The dot appears on a contact’s profile photo inside the chat info screen, which users reach by tapping the contact’s name at the top of a conversation. It does not appear in the chat list or inside the conversation itself. That placement limits how useful it actually is in practice, since most users never open that screen during a normal exchange.
What Changes When the Contacts Screen Arrives
WhatsApp already tested an equivalent feature on Android before bringing it to iOS, so the visual approach is consistent across platforms. Rather than a text label reading “online,” the app uses a small green circle that disappears the moment the contact leaves WhatsApp.
The feature respects existing privacy settings. If a contact has hidden their last seen and online status, the green dot will not appear for them regardless of whether they are active.
The more interesting context here is the upcoming Contacts screen WhatsApp is reportedly developing, which is expected to surface online and recently active contacts in a single view. That screen would make the green dot genuinely discoverable rather than tucked inside a secondary menu. For now, the indicator is functional but easy to miss for anyone who does not already know where to look.
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