Last month, it was reported that WhatsApp began testing a green dot on Android to signify when a contact is online. Now, the Meta-owned company is extending this feature to iOS users.
This new development was uncovered by WABetaInfo, which found it in beta version 26.26.10.72 of WhatsApp for iOS.
If you are a beta user on iOS with the latest version of the app installed, you will notice a small green circle appears at the bottom-right of a contact's photo on the "Contact info" screen when they are online. This indicator updates in real-time, disappearing when the contact goes offline.
According to WABetaInfo, the green dot is currently visible only in the "Contact info" screen, accessible by tapping on a contact's photo. Some users believe it would be more beneficial if WhatsApp also displayed this indicator in the chats list and chat tab.
It's important to note that WhatsApp applies the same privacy settings to this green dot as it does to the last seen and online status. Therefore, if a user has chosen to hide their last seen and online status, the green dot will not be visible to others.
This online status feature is presently available only to select beta users on both Android and iOS, and there is no information on when WhatsApp plans to roll it out to all users.
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