Popular messaging app WhatsApp will no longer allow you to get away with ignoring your messages.
The Meta-owned company is rolling out an update which will allow users to see which one of their friends was recently on the app. WhatsApp says this move will promote more engagement and conversations.
According to reports from source , the update will display a list of people who have been online recently.
The update has been observed in pre-release versions of WhatsApp for both Android and iOS and will be gradually rolled out to users in the coming weeks. It’s important to note that this update is optional and does not display the real-time online status of all contacts.
Instead, it provides a general overview of recent online activity, which disappears when users attempt to start a new chat or make a call. This way, users can identify potential contacts available for immediate interaction.
WABetaInfo clarifies that the purpose of this feature is not to present a comprehensive list of all currently online contacts but rather to offer a snapshot of recent activity. It is designed to give users a sense of overall online presence rather than real-time status updates for all contacts.
It’s worth mentioning that users cannot view the online status of contacts with whom they have not previously interacted or those who have blocked them.
Despite WhatsApp already having features that indicate when users are online, typing, or when they were last seen, the new update introduces additional privacy functions. WABetaInfo emphasizes that user privacy preferences are respected, as contacts who have disabled their last seen and online status will not appear in this list.
Users have the option to disable the feature entirely or select specific individuals for whom it remains active. However, disabling the feature means that users won’t be able to see when others are online either.
Source iHarare
