WhatsApp's new green dots show you contacts who are online
What's the story
WhatsApp has started rolling out a new feature that adds a green dot next to contact names in the chat info screen. The dot indicates when a person is active on the platform, providing users with real-time updates about their contacts' availability. The feature is currently being rolled out for beta testers using WhatsApp's latest version on iOS and Android devices.
Privacy consideration
Green dot and user privacy
The green dot feature is designed to respect user privacy settings. It only appears for contacts who have chosen to share their online status. If a contact has hidden their last seen and online status, the dot won't show up in the chat info screen. This way, WhatsApp maintains its commitment to user privacy while providing more information about contact availability.
Feature details
How the green dot works
The green dot appears as a small circle in the corner of a contact's profile photo when they are active on WhatsApp. It disappears as soon as the contact goes offline, providing real-time updates about their status. Currently, it only shows up in the chat info screen but could be expanded to other sections of the app in future updates.
Future feature
Green dot to be integrated into new Contacts hub
WhatsApp is also working on a new Contacts screen for Android and iOS. The green dot feature will play an important role in this new tab, showing which contacts are currently online or have recently been active. This way, users will already be familiar with the dot system when WhatsApp officially launches the Contacts hub.