How to See When Someone Was Last Online on WhatsApp

PDF download Download Article
Plus, how to hide your own "last seen" from others
PDF download Download Article

WhatsApp makes it easy to see when someone was last active in the app. Just open your chats, select a conversation, and you'll see "Last Seen" at the top of the conversation, along with the date and time the user was last active. This wikiHow guide will show you how to see when a contact was last online in WhatsApp on your Android, iPhone, or iPad, and how to control the privacy of your own "last seen" .

See Last Active Status (Last Seen) on WhatsApp

Look at the top of a WhatsApp chat to see when a person was last seen. If you see "Online" instead of "Last seen," the person has WhatsApp open right now. A person's last seen status won't be visible if either of you has hidden your own last seen.

Section 1 of 3:

See When Someone Was Last Active

PDF download Download Article
  1. This displays your list of chats.
  2. Select a conversation with an individual contact.
    • Group chats don't display "last seen" information, so you'll need to choose a one-on-one message.
    Advertisement
  3. Once the conversation loads, "last seen (date) at (time)" will appear below the contact's name at the top of the screen. This is the date and time the contact last opened WhatsApp on their phone or tablet.
    • If the word "Online" appears below the contact's name, they have WhatsApp open on their device right now. [1]
    • If a user has blocked you , you won't be able to see their "last seen" information (and may not even be able to view messages with them). [2]
    • Users may also opt to hide their online activity in their Privacy settings, but there are still third-party methods available for checking their status. [3]
    4. Advertisement
Section 2 of 3:

Hide Your Last Seen Activity

PDF download Download Article
  1. 1
    Open your WhatsApp Settings. On an Android, tap the three-dot menu â‹® and select Settings . On an iPhone or iPad, tap Settings (the gear). [4]
    • Hiding your "last seen" on WhatsApp will also prevent you from seeing when other people were last active. If you want to see when people were last active, you should keep your last seen visible to your contacts (or everyone).
  2. 2
    Tap Privacy . This expands your WhatsApp privacy settings.
  3. 3
    Tap Last seen and online . Now you'll see a list of options for controlling who can see when you were last active on WhatsApp.
  4. 4
    Choose who can see your activity status.
    • The default, Everyone , allows anyone on WhatsApp to see when you were last active, and whether you're online now.
    • If that's a little too public for you, you can change it to My Contacts so only your contacts can see it, or try My Contacts Except… to hide your last seen from a few specific people.
    • If you're really trying to stay private, select Nobody so no one can see when you're on WhatsApp or when you last used it.
    5. Advertisement
Section 3 of 3:

FAQ

PDF download Download Article
  1. 1
    Why can't I see when someone was last active on WhatsApp? If someone's last seen or online status isn't visible, there are a few possible reasons: [5]
    • You've hidden your own last seen.
    • The person has hidden their last seen.
    • You haven't added the person as a contact or sent them a message.
    • The person hasn't chatted with you or added you as a contact.
    • The person has blocked you.
  2. 2
    Will someone know if I check their WhatsApp last seen? Unlike when you view someone's status , the person will not know you've checked their last seen. Likewise, you also cannot tell when someone views your last seen information.
  3. 3
    Is last seen on WhatsApp accurate? For the most part, if someone's last seen is visible, the time and date you see is when that user last had the app open while connected to the internet.
  4. 4
    What's the difference between "last seen" and "online" on WhatsApp? "Online" means the person's phone is connected to the internet and WhatsApp is open. "Last seen" means the person is not online right now, but was last online (with WhatsApp open) at the time and date shown. [6]
    5. Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    Is it possible for "last seen" to not show, even if one is not blocked?
    Community Answer
    Yes. It just means that person limited the setting to either no one or contact only. It doesn't necessarily mean you are blocked.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 28 Helpful 84
  • Question
    Is the time last seen my time or the last seen person's time on WhatsApp?
    Community Answer
    It is the person whose name the time is under. So, for example, "Dave Yesterday at 10:21am" means that Dave was on yesterday at 10:21.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 24 Helpful 28
  • Question
    What if it's not turning to double blue ticks on WhatsApp?
    Community Answer
    That may be because the recipient has turned off read receipts, so it will not turn to blue ticks.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 15 Helpful 32
See more answers
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Tips

      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
      Advertisement

      You Might Also Like

      How to
      Use WhatsApp Web and WhatsApp on Your Computer
      Easy Ways to Know Someone Blocked You on WhatsApp
      Are You Blocked on WhatsApp? Profile Pictures & More Signs
      3 Simple Ways to Contact WhatsApp Customer Service
      How to
      Download WhatsApp
      How to
      Activate WhatsApp Without a Verification Code
      4 Ways to Use Two WhatsApp Accounts on One Phone
      How to
      Permanently Remove WhatsApp Contacts (2025 Guide)
      How to
      Hide Your Phone Number on WhatsApp
      Downloading and Installing WhatsApp to Your Android Device
      Why Do People Use WhatsApp? Everything You Need to Know
      How to
      Know if Someone Has Your Number on WhatsApp
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://faq.whatsapp.com/419827870318306
      2. ↑ https://faq.whatsapp.com/666362298345682
      3. ↑ https://faq.whatsapp.com/3307102709559968
      4. ↑ https://faq.whatsapp.com/419827870318306/?cms_platform=iphone&helpref=platform_switcher
      5. ↑ https://faq.whatsapp.com/419827870318306/?cms_platform=iphone&helpref=platform_switcher
      6. ↑ https://faq.whatsapp.com/419827870318306/?cms_platform=android
      7. ↑ https://faq.whatsapp.com/3307102709559968/?helpref=faq_content&cms_platform=web

      About This Article

      In other languages
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 498,703 times.

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisement