How to See Last Seen on WhatsApp if It Is Hidden

Co-authored by Nicole Levine, MFA Reviewed by Luigi Oppido

Last Updated: August 1, 2023 Fact Checked

Trying to figure out when one of your WhatsApp contacts was last active? If they've made their online status private, that information won't be available to you in the app.^{[1]
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Research source} However, you may be able to install an app or Chrome extension that can notify you of when a contact is active. This wikiHow article will teach you why you can't see someone's Last Seen on WhatsApp, and show you a few apps that may help you get around WhatsApp's privacy settings.

Question 1 of 2:

Why can't I see someone's Last Seen?

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If someone adjusted their privacy settings to hide the last time they were active, the information is hidden in WhatsApp.^{[2]
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Research source}
You may have made your own online status private. If you want to see when someone was last active on WhatsApp, your own privacy settings must also be set to allow others to see your status. To see someone else's Last Seen time, your own must be accessible to your contacts. Double-check your own Last Seen settings at Settings > Privacy > Last Seen.^{[3]
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If you were seeing a person's Last Seen status before but can no longer see it, it's possible they've blocked you.^{[4]
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Research source} If the person blocked you, you also won't see updates to their contact photo, nor will you ever see a second checkmark on the messages you send to that person.

Question 2 of 2:

Which apps can show me Last Seen if it's private?

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WhatStat is an option available for both Android and iOS. The app has thousands of downloads and reviews, but the reviews indicate that it doesn't work for everyone. The subscription fee may deter you, but there's a free trial that might be enough to find what you're looking for.
- Many apps claim they can tell you when someone was last active on WhatsApp. Because WhatsApp does not approve or recommend any of these apps, there's no guarantee that they'll work.
Another popular Android option is WaStat. This app, which comes with a 24 hour free trial period, can monitor up to 10 users and report when they were last active. The reviews on this one are mixed—it's not clear why it works for some people and not others.
Try the WA Web Plus Chrome extension on a computer. This extension does more than just look for hidden online statuses, but a lot of people use it just for that purpose. The reviews are mixed—some users report that they can't track other users, while others claim it works just fine.^{[5]
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Warnings

No tracking app should require any personal information from you—just the phone number of the person you want to track. If an app demands personal information, delete it.

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