WhatsApp Tests Green Online Dot in Beta to Show Who Is Active

WhatsApp has begun rolling out a new beta feature on Android that marks contacts who are online with a small green dot on their profile photo. The change replaces the older text label and is meant to make it easier to see, at a glance, who is available without opening a chat or reading status text.

For now, the dot appears only in the chat info screen, but it is part of a broader design update WhatsApp plans to expand across the app. The new visual indicator resembles features already used in Meta apps such as Facebook Messenger and Instagram.

At the same time, WhatsApp is working on a dedicated contacts hub that would gather all contacts in one place and sort them by who is currently online or who was recently active. The company says the goal is to increase interaction and encourage more continuous use of the app, similar to Telegram’s default setup.

Despite privacy concerns, WhatsApp says the feature will fully respect user settings. Users who hide their online status or their Last Seen setting will not be shown with the green dot, even when active. The feature is currently available to a limited number of Android beta testers and is expected to reach more users in the coming weeks.