If you’re old enough, you might remember the time when SMS messages burst onto the scene. We all thought that we’d reached the zenith of communications; being able to drop notes to other people instantly and from anywhere was revolutionary.
How wrong we were. WhatsApp has revolutionized the communications world for a second time. But the app has not necessarily revolutionized it for the better.
Is it really a good thing that people can see when you were last online? Is it not a gross invasion of privacy to display that information to everyone all the time? Perhaps you should turn the feature off.
How to Hide Your Online Status in WhatsApp
Hiding your online status in WhatsApp is easy. You just need to follow the step-by-step instructions below:
- Open the WhatsApp app.
- Click on the three vertical dots in the upper right-hand corner.
- Tap on Settings.
- From the Settings menu, select Account.
- Next, tap on Privacy.
- Choose Last Seen from the list of options.
- In the popup window, choose Nobody.
Note: Unfortunately, it is not possible to set the availability of your online status on a user-by-user basis.
While you’re on the menu, it’s worth spending a few moments checking out the other privacy options you can tweak. They include the visibility of your profile photo, bio, status, and location.
Perhaps most importantly, the Privacy menu is also where you can disable the infamous blue ticks (aka Read Receipts). They’re a sure-fire giveaway that you’ve been online, even if you disable your online status. To turn off the blue ticks, scroll down to Messaging > Read Receipts and unmark the checkbox.
This is just one of many useful hidden tricks in WhatsApp.
