How to Tell if Someone Is Online on WhatsApp

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: August 7, 2023 Fact Checked

WhatsApp allows you to see if your contacts are online and also the last time they last used the app.^{[1]
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Research source} While you can't see the status for every contact at once, you can check the status of each individual person rather easily.

Things You Should Know

Open the WhatsApp app and navigate to the conversation with the person whose status you want to see. Start a new chat if you don't already have one open.
Look at the top of the screen underneath their contact name. If they are online, you'll see the word "online."
You may also see "typing" or "recording audio" if the contact is online and in the process of engaging with you.

Steps

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Open WhatsApp.
^{[2]
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Research source}

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Tap on a conversation. Choose a conversation you've had with the contact who's online status you wish to see.^{[3]
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- If you don't have a conversation started with the contact whose status you would like to see, you'll have to create a new chat. Press the chat bubble icon in the upper right corner.
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View their status. If they're online, you will see “online” underneath their contact name. Otherwise, it will say “last seen at…”^{[4]
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Research source}
- “Online” means that your contact is using the app at that moment.
- “Last seen at…” means that your contact was last using the app at the specified time.
- If your contact is in the process of contacting you, you might see an action instead, such as “typing” or “recording audio”.

Community Q&A

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Question

What does it mean when I send a message to someone on WhatsApp and it shows one tick mark and two tick marks?

Community Answer

One tick mark means the message is sending; two tick marks mean the message is received. If the two tick marks are blue, your message has been seen.

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Question

Can I see when my contact is online with someone else?

Community Answer

Yes. His/her status would be online, but he/she would not be writing you anything.

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Question

How can I tell when someone was last using WhatsApp if the status is hidden?

Community Answer

If you're in a group with the person, you can type something in the group and find out what time he saw your message.

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There's currently no way to see a contact's online status through their contact card. You can only view their status through conversations.

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