WhatsApp will hide your ''last seen'' status from strangers

WhatsApp has introduced a new privacy change that hides users’ last seen status from people they don’t know or haven’t chatted within the app, according to WABetaInfo.

WhatsApp users will know that a contact's "Last Seen" status appears at the top of the conversation thread, indicating when that contact last opened the app and was active on the platform. Users can turn off their "Last Seen" status so that other contacts don't know when they were last online. However, people and businesses a user knows or has previously messaged are not affected by the change.

On the other hand, if you’ve previously chatted with a contact or a business, they would be able to see your last seen information just fine.

“To improve the privacy and security of our users, we're making it harder for people you don't know and haven't chatted with from seeing your last seen and online presence on WhatsApp. This will not change anything between you and your friends, family, and businesses who you know or have previously messaged,” WhatsApp support explains.

At this time, there is no estimated time of arrival for when this new feature will be available for all devices, but it will be available both on iOS and Android devices.