iOS · iPhone & iPad

Control Who Can See Your WhatsApp Online Status

Source-checked 7 August 2026About 10 minutes

Answer

Open WhatsApp Privacy settings, set Last seen and online to the audience you choose, then review the related read-receipt and profile-visibility settings so you understand the trade-offs.

Open WhatsApp Privacy

Open WhatsApp Settings and select Privacy.

Set Last seen and online visibility

Choose the audience for Last seen and online that matches your privacy preference.

Review related privacy controls

Check read receipts and profile visibility so the overall privacy result is what you expect.

Verify the result

Ask a trusted contact to check the profile while WhatsApp is open and closed, confirming Last seen and online reflect the selected audience.

If it does not work

If the setting appears ineffective, verify both Last seen and online choices and app version. Remember reciprocal privacy limits and avoid third-party status trackers.

Sources and verification

Checked against official documentation on 7 August 2026. Scope: iPhone & iPad.

Reviewed against the linked first-party guidance; interface labels can vary by current app, service, or operating-system version.

WhatsApp Help Center: About privacy settings