WhatsApp is testing a new feature for iPhone users that will make it easier to see when contacts are online. The latest iOS beta introduces a small green dot that appears on a contact's profile photo whenever they are actively using the app.
The feature was first introduced in the Android beta last month and has now made its way to the iPhone beta. According to WABetaInfo, the green indicator appears in real time and disappears as soon as the contact is no longer active on WhatsApp.
Meta has also built in privacy safeguards. Users who have chosen to hide their online status through WhatsApp's privacy settings will not display the green dot. Additionally, the indicator only appears while a person is actively using the app, rather than simply running it in the background.
For now, the online indicator is only visible when users open a contact's information page by tapping the chat header. It does not yet appear in the main chat list or inside conversations. However, reports suggest WhatsApp is working on a dedicated Contacts screen that could display contacts who are currently online or were recently active.
As with most WhatsApp beta features, the rollout is currently limited to a small group of beta testers. It may take some time before the feature is available to all users, and there is no official timeline yet for a stable release.
