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 functionality will make it easier for users to find who is active on WhatsApp and start a conversation with them.
| 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 rolled out a feature that shows activity indicators in groups
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 to see how many participants are active in the group. This feature helps users quickly understand how active a conversation is without scrolling the chat. It is useful in large groups, where activity can change rapidly during the day.
WhatsApp is developing a section to show online contacts
WhatsApp plans to make the activity indicator more visible. Specifically, WhatsApp will display who is online in a new section. With the 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 who is currently online.
WhatsApp is developing a section to show online contacts
WhatsApp is currently testing a feature that will display who is currently online. At the moment, users can see if someone is online by opening a conversation. This means that users need to open many chats to verify who is available. In a future update, WhatsApp will address this issue by introducing a feature that shows which contacts are currently online.
The Contacts section will offer suggestions
WhatsApp will add a new section within the app settings. Here, users will be able to access a dedicated hub where they can interact with their contacts. At the top of this section, WhatsApp will encourage users to add unknown contacts to their address book. The app will suggest unsaved contacts as well as people the user interacts with in groups. Note that the placement of this section is not final since the feature is in development. WhatsApp may move it to a different location before the official release.
Users will be able to see who is currently active on WhatsApp
WhatsApp will also 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. Instead, a contact who was last online 5 minutes ago will appear before someone who was last online 10 minutes ago. As a result, this feature will make it easier for users to quickly identify available contacts.
The Contacts section will respect privacy settings
This feature will follow the privacy settings set by the contact. If someone has disabled their last seen, they will not appear in the list. However, if a contact has also hidden their online status, they will not appear in the list. As a result, this feature will respect privacy settings in any case.
The Contacts section will be available in a future Android update
The feature that lets users see who is online is under development. Its release is planned for 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.
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