WhatsApp is working on a list of online contacts on Android
WhatsApp is developing a feature that will let users see who is currently online. This feature will make it easier for users to start conversations at the right moment and connect with contacts who are actively available.
| Key Points | Details |
|---|---|
| Name of the feature: | Contacts hub |
| Status: | Under development |
| Availability info: | This feature is currently in development and not yet available for beta testing. In the meantime, you can read this article for a sneak peek. |
| Previous news: | WhatsApp releases a native CarPlay app to iOS beta testers! |
WhatsApp's Upcoming Online Contacts Feature on Android beta
In the post about the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.25.30 update, we announced a feature that brings an activity indicator to groups. This functionality introduces a label in the top app bar that shows how many participants are currently active in the group. This feature helps users quickly understand how active a conversation is without scrolling the chat. It is especially useful in large groups, where activity can change rapidly throughout the day.
It seems that WhatsApp is committed to making the activity indicator more visible. This time, WhatsApp plans to display even the names of contacts who are currently online. Following the release of the latest WhatsApp beta for Android 2.26.13.3 update, which is available on the Google Play Store, we discovered that WhatsApp is working on a feature that lets users see a list of which of their contacts are currently online.
As you can see from the attached image, WhatsApp is exploring the implementation of a feature designed to show who is currently online. This feature will be available for release in a future update. However, it already aims to bring a clearer overview of active contacts at a glance. At the moment, the only way to see if a contact is online is by opening the chat with them. This means that users need to check multiple conversations individually to verify who is available immediately. So it may take more time to find out who is currently active.
In a future update, WhatsApp will address this issue by introducing a feature that shows which contacts are currently online at a glance. WhatsApp plans to add this section within the app settings. Here, users will be able to access a dedicated hub where they can interact with their contacts. It's worth noting that the placement of this section is not final since the feature is in development, and WhatsApp may move it to a different location before the official release.
At the top of this section, WhatsApp will encourage users to add unknown contacts to their address book. It will suggest unsaved contacts as well as people the user interacts with in groups. For example, if a user talks individually with someone from a group chat, WhatsApp will recommend adding that person to their contacts. These suggestions are designed to be relevant, as they focus on unknown accounts the user communicates with most.
Following this initial section, WhatsApp will display a list of contacts who are currently online. Users will be able to sort the list either by name or by online status. For example, contacts who are online will appear at the top if sorted by online status. Those users who are not currently online will be shown afterward, and they are organized by their last seen time. This means a contact who was last online 5 minutes ago will appear before someone who was last online 10 minutes ago. So this feature is designed to make it easier to identify available contacts quickly.
It is important to note that this feature will follow the privacy settings set by your contacts. If someone has disabled their last seen, they will not appear in the list based on that information. They will only be shown if they are currently online. However, if a contact has also hidden their online status, they will not appear in the list at all. As a result, this feature ensures that users' visibility preferences are fully respected. It will provide a balance between convenience and privacy.
This feature will make it easier for users to start conversations when contacts are active. Users will be able to see at a glance who is available, making communication faster and more efficient. By showing who is currently online, users will no longer need to open individual chats to check if who is online. It will improve the overall messaging experience by highlighting real-time availability in a single, unified section.
The feature that lets users see a list of which of their contacts are currently online. is currently under development, and it is planned for release in a future update. At the moment, WhatsApp is refining how the app displays who is currently online. Once testing is complete, WhatsApp will release this feature to some beta testers, making it more convenient to identify who is available.
Stay Connected with WABetaInfo
Follow WABetaInfo on X to stay informed about new features and updates. We love hearing your feedback, so please let us know what you think! You can also visit our About page to explore all our services and keep up with the latest announcements.