WhatsApp: the green dot to indicate who is online arrives on iPhone

The new online status indicator onwhatsapp

WhatsApp is introducing a new visual feature to indicate when a contact is active within the app. As reported by WaBetaInfo eMacRumors, this innovation, already being tested on Android last month, is now also arriving for beta users on iPhone. This is a small green dot that will appear next to a contact's profile photo, signaling their online presence in real time. This change aims to provide users with a more immediate way to know if their contacts are available for a conversation, while maintaining an eye for privacy.

How the WhatsApp green dot works

The mechanism is quite simple: when a contact is online on WhatsApp, a small green circle will appear next to their profile picture. This indicator disappears as soon as the user exits the app or becomes inactive. Currently, the green dot is only visible on the contact information screen, which is the page that opens when you tap a contact's name at the top of a conversation. It does not yet appear in the chat list or in the conversation view itself, but it is possible that this view will be expanded in the future.

Privacy implications

Despite the introduction of this new indicator, WhatsApp seems to want to respect users' current privacy settings. Indeed, if a contact has chosen to hide their "last seen" and "online" status, the green dot will not be visible to others. This means the feature doesn't force users to reveal their online presence if they don't want to, aligning with the app's existing privacy policies. The visibility of the green dot will therefore depend on each user's individual settings regarding sharing their online status. The presence of the WhatsApp green dot online is therefore linked to individual privacy choices.

WhatsApp green dot online - Availability and future of the function

As mentioned, the feature is currently being tested in the beta version of WhatsApp for iPhone. Deployment to a larger number of beta testers is expected in the coming weeks. At the moment, there is no precise indication as to when the green dot will reach the stable version of the application, making it available to all users. It is likely that after a period of thorough testing and gathering feedback, the feature will gradually be released globally. The goal is to provide a more informative user experience while maintaining control over your privacy.