WhatsApp now hides your online status from strangers

WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps around the world. Unfortunately, with that comes many security issues, including strangers tracking your online status. Thankfully, the company is making it so your online status is hidden by default.

According to WABetaInfo, both the Android and iOS WhatsApp apps will make it so your “Last seen” status is only visible to contacts. Previously, anyone could see when you were last online, which made it a lot easier for strangers to stalk you. This change provides a nice extra layer of security for users of the chat app.

Following the report from WABetaInfo, the company’s support team confirmed the change on Twitter.

Changing your online status visibility to contacts only isn’t new. The change is that it’ll now be the default, meaning you won’t have to go to the app’s settings to hide your online status from strangers. Instead, you’ll need to go to the settings if you want to let everyone see whether you’re online or not.

Also Read: This WhatsApp feature is awesome! Make your chat disappear by default; here is how

There are entire apps designed to use publicly available online statuses from WhatsApp to track users, so thankfully, those apps will be rendered useless by this change.

With Disappearing Messages, you choose how long your messages stay around. Set to default on all new chats, choose the duration, and get more control of your conversations. Not every message needs to stick around forever. Rolling out over the next few weeks. pic.twitter.com/4dqYOUYFdC

— WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) December 13, 2021

This is an excellent change for WhatsApp. It’ll make using the app more secure without removing any critical functionality from its users, which is really all you can ask for.–howtogeek.com