WhatsApp Adds Green Dot to Show When Contacts Are Online

WhatsApp is rolling out a new feature for Android beta users that makes it easier to see which contacts are active in real time. When a contact is online, a green dot will appear on that person’s profile photo in the chat details screen, giving users a quick visual cue instead of requiring them to open a chat and check the status text at the top of the conversation.

The update is meant to replace the current manual check and make it easier to tell whether someone is available to talk. It is part of a broader push by WhatsApp to highlight contact activity more clearly.

In recent months, the company has also been testing other tools tied to online status, including a dedicated hub that would show contacts currently active and a list of users who were recently online.

Like WhatsApp’s existing “last seen” setting, the new green-dot indicator will be governed by privacy controls. Users who hide their online status will not appear with the dot to others, and they will also be unable to see the online status of other users. The feature is currently available to some Android beta testers and is expected to expand gradually to more users in the coming weeks after testing is complete.