WhatsApp is fairly straightforward, but some of its features, like how the last seen status works, can be confusing (especially if you’re new to the platform).
While it was part of the WhatsApp Meta, it added a feature similar to what we saw in Facebook Messenger. This article explains the last state that WhatsApp displays to your contacts and other users of this platform, and how to hide this information from strangers.
What is the “last visited” status?
WhatsApp status “Last Seen” indicates the last time the user was active on the app. This includes the last time a user replied in person and the last time an app was opened on a device. When you open a WhatsApp chat with another user, you’ll see a ‘Last Seen‘ status next to their profile picture at the top of the screen. If someone hasn’t replied to your message in a while, you can check their last viewed status to see if they intentionally avoided the message or have been offline for a long time.
The Last Seen feature is now available as a read acknowledgment (blue marks next to messages when read) and online status (appears when the user is online and the WhatsApp app is open in the background of the device.) Should not be Confused
The Last Seen feature is not a new feature on WhatsApp, but it has been updated recently. You can already hide your last visited information from WhatsApp users and anyone who is not in your contact list. With this update, you can also save the last visit status to specific people. It’s basically like blocking some contacts to see details of your last visit.
Note: If you don’t share your last visit status, you won’t be able to see other users’ last visit status.
How to save latest Whatsapp status
The ability to save the last review status is available for both Android and iOS users. If you don’t want other people to know you’re online with the app, WhatsApp’s privacy settings allow you to control who can see your last visit.
Save the last viewed state in Android
For Android users, follow the steps below to save your last viewed status on WhatsApp using the mobile app.
- Open WhatsApp on your smartphone.
- Select the three vertical dots in the upper right corner of the screen to open the menu.
- Select Settings from the drop-down menu.
- Select Accounts from the Settings menu.
- Select Personal Identity.
- Finally, select “Recently Found” in Privacy Settings.
- Select one of the options in the last viewed window and select Done at the bottom of the screen to confirm. These options are available:
Everyone: Everyone should be able to see the quality of their final contribution.
Contacts: Only people in your contact list will be able to see the status of your final gift.
Deleted Contacts: Manually select contacts whose last visit status cannot be verified.
Nothing: Store last visitor information. This means that you can’t even see the last visitor state.
If you change your mind and want to restore the last visited status, you can always go back to the last visited section in your privacy settings.
Save your current status on iPhone
The secret steps last seen on Apple devices are the same. However, the app’s user interface is slightly different. If you are an iOS user and need to navigate through WhatsApp privacy settings to save the last viewed information, follow these steps:
- Open WhatsApp on your smartphone.
- Select “Settings” at the bottom right of the screen.
- Then follow the path Account > Privacy > Last seen.
This opens a page with options for who can see your last viewed status: Everyone, My Contacts, and None. On the iPhone, the option to hide last seen status from specific contacts is still in testing and not yet available. WhatsApp will automatically save the options you choose.
Note: You cannot access privacy settings from WhatsApp on the web. In other words, you cannot change the last seen position on your computer to hide it.
Why should you hide your last seen status on WhatsApp
Hiding your last seen status or leaving it all is a privacy issue that you want to keep your WhatsApp account. WhatsApp already sets the last seen status view to everyone by default. This means that all users of the platform can access this information. In addition, third-party apps can take advantage of this feature and track specific users through WhatsApp.
After the latest security update, WhatsApp users who are not in your contact list and have not exchanged messages with you will no longer be able to see when you were last online (or currently online). Because the app is not interactive, this update prevents third-party apps from accessing your last views or online presence information.
You can use this new update without worrying about others tracking your online status on WhatsApp. Conversely, you can ask a friend or relative if they have seen you online. In this case, you can set last seen status to my contacts instead of just selecting trusted people.
Make WhatsApp personal
Finally, a feature we noticed is common to many other social media platforms and messengers, such as Viber or Telegram. However, in most cases you can enable this feature or disable it completely. The ability to hide your last viewed status from specific users is a nice addition to WhatsApp privacy features that helps make your WhatsApp account more personal.