If you’ve been using WhatsApp on Android beta lately, you might have spotted a tiny green circle next to contacts’ names. Now it’s iOS’s turn. The latest iPhone beta (version 26.26.10.72, rolling out via TestFlight) adds the same online indicator – a small green dot that appears when someone is actively using the app.
But don’t expect to see it everywhere. Unlike Telegram or Signal, WhatsApp doesn’t plaster the dot on your main chat list. Right now, you have to tap into a specific conversation, then tap the contact’s name at the top to open their info page – that’s where the green dot lives. It’s subtle, almost hidden. Some testers have already called it “underwhelming,” but there’s a reason: WhatsApp is reportedly building a dedicated “contacts” tab that would make these statuses more visible. That’s likely where the dot will truly shine.
Privacy first – and that’s good news. The dot respects your existing “last seen” and “online” privacy settings. If you’ve hidden your online status from everyone, nobody sees your green dot either. It only lights up when you’re actually inside the app, and it disappears the moment you switch away. No extra data is exposed.
When can everyone get it? For now, only beta users. WhatsApp hasn’t given a firm date for the public release, but since both Android and iOS are testing simultaneously, a wider rollout is probably weeks away, not months.
Is this a game-changer? Not really. But it’s one of those small quality-of-life tweaks that makes glancing at a contact’s availability a little faster – no need to read “online” in text. If you’re on the beta, check your contact info page. If not, sit tight – it’s coming.
Honestly, I’d love to see it on the chat list someday. But for now, it’s a step in the right direction – and at least they kept privacy in mind.