The dotted circle that sometimes appears next to a contact’s name on WhatsApp is an indicator of that user’s online status. It signifies that the contact has their “last seen” privacy setting enabled, meaning they have chosen to hide their last seen time from some or all of their contacts.
Why does the dotted circle appear?
There are a few different reasons you may see a dotted circle next to a contact’s name rather than their last seen time:
- They have their last seen setting turned off completely. This hides their last seen time from all contacts.
- They have it set to “My Contacts Except…”. This hides their last seen from specific contacts.
- They have set their last seen to “Same as Message Privacy”. This syncs the last seen setting with who can see their read receipts. So if you have read receipts disabled, you won’t see their last seen.
In all these cases, the dotted circle indicates the user has actively chosen to hide their last seen status from you. It’s their way of maintaining some privacy on when they were last online.
Does the dotted circle mean they’re online?
The dotted circle does not necessarily mean the user is currently online. It simply indicates their last seen is hidden from you. They may actually be offline for hours or days.
The only way to tell if a user with a dotted circle is truly online is if you see them actively using WhatsApp Web or you see the text “online” under their name.
Can I turn off the dotted circle for my account?
There is no way to remove the dotted circle next to your name for specific contacts. The dotted circle will automatically appear next to your name for any contacts you’ve hidden your last seen from.
The only way to remove the dotted circle is to turn off last seen privacy entirely. But this means all your contacts would be able to see your last seen time again.
Why do my contacts hide their last seen?
There are a few common reasons your contacts may hide their last seen status:
- Privacy – They may not want certain people tracking when they were last online.
- Appearing offline – They may want to appear offline even when they’re online.
- Avoiding conversations – They may hide it to avoid unwanted conversations.
- Focusing – They could be hiding it to avoid distractions and focus on work.
Ultimately, it’s a personal choice each user makes to control how much information they share on WhatsApp. The dotted circle is the indicator that a user has exercised that choice to hide their last seen from you.
Can I request a contact to disable last seen privacy?
You can certainly ask a contact to disable their last seen privacy for you. However, whether they actually do it or not is up to them.
Keep in mind that many users enable last seen privacy for valid reasons like privacy and avoiding distractions. Disabling it just for you may defeat the purpose of why they turned it on in the first place.
If it’s for casual purposes, like just wanting to see if they’re online, they may not have an issue turning it off. But if they’ve hidden it for more serious privacy reasons, they likely won’t be willing to make an exception.
Does WhatsApp notify users when I view their status updates?
No, WhatsApp does not notify users when someone views their status updates. The status viewer privacy works like this:
- You can view anyone’s statuses without them being notified.
- They won’t know how many times you’ve viewed their status.
- They won’t know if you took screenshots of their status.
So you have full privacy when viewing someone’s status updates. They will have no indication whether you have viewed them or not.
Can I hide my status viewing activity from specific contacts?
Unlike last seen, there is no way to hide your status viewing activity from specific people. It’s either all or nothing.
You have two options:
- Disable read receipts – This prevents anyone from being able to see your read receipts or status viewing activity.
- Keep read receipts enabled – This allows everyone to potentially see your reading receipts and status views if their own read receipt setting allows it.
So if you want to hide your status views from certain contacts only, the only option is to turn off read receipts completely.
Conclusion
The dotted circle next to a contact name indicates they have set their WhatsApp last seen privacy to hide their last seen time from you. It doesn’t necessarily mean they’re online now. There is no way to remove the dotted circle just for yourself. Users have valid reasons to enable last seen privacy, so you should respect their choice if they decline to disable it for you. When viewing statuses, you have full privacy – users are not notified and cannot see if or how many times you viewed their status updates.
Here is a summary of the key points:
| What does the dotted circle mean? | The user has enabled last seen privacy to hide their last seen time from you |
|---|---|
| Does it mean they’re online? | No, it just means their last seen is hidden. They could be offline. |
| Can I remove the dotted circle? | No, it will appear whenever a user hides their last seen from you |
| Can they see if I view statuses? | No, your status viewing is private |
WhatsApp’s privacy settings allow users to control what information they share. The dotted circle gives users a way to conceal their online activity from others. While some may find it annoying, it’s a personal choice users make for privacy, focus, or other reasons. As their contact, the respectful approach is to accept their decision and not pressure them to reveal more than they are comfortable with.
WhatsApp is one of the world’s most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide as of 2020. It allows fast, simple, secure messaging and voice/video calls for free. WhatsApp uses internet data plans or WiFi to send messages and make calls, avoiding SMS and phone call charges. It also has useful features like group chats, documents sharing, and statuses.
WhatsApp History
WhatsApp was founded in 2009 by Brian Acton and Jan Koum, both former Yahoo employees. The name WhatsApp comes from the phrase “What’s up app”, reflecting its use for real-time communication. WhatsApp was acquired by Facebook in February 2014 for $19 billion USD, the largest acquisition of a venture-backed company at the time.
Some key milestones in WhatsApp’s growth:
- 2009 – WhatsApp founded
- 2010 – Launches on iOS
- 2011 – Launches on Android, 1 million active users
- 2012 – 10 billion total messages sent
- 2013 – 200 million active users
- 2014 – Acquired by Facebook for $19 billion
- 2016 – 1 billion active users
- 2018 – 1.5 billion active users
- 2020 – 2 billion active users
WhatsApp has dominated the messaging space and continues to grow rapidly worldwide. However, it now faces stiffer competition from apps like Telegram, Viber, Signal and Facebook’s own Messenger.
Key Features of WhatsApp
Some main features that make WhatsApp popular:
- Messaging – Instant text messages, photos, videos and more
- Voice/video calls – Make free VoIP calls over wifi or data
- Group chats – Chat with up to 256 people together
- Document sharing – Send PDFs, documents up to 100MB
- Statuses – Share photos, videos that disappear after 24hrs
- End-to-end encryption – Messages and calls are secured and private
- Cross-platform – Use WhatsApp on iOS, Android, or desktop
These useful features, combined with WhatsApp’s simplicy and security, help explain why it has become so hugely popular worldwide.
Using WhatsApp Web
WhatsApp Web allows you to use WhatsApp on your computer browser. To get started:
- Open the WhatsApp app on your phone
- Tap Menu > WhatsApp Web
- Go to web.whatsapp.com on your computer browser
- Use your phone’s camera to scan the QR code displayed
- You will now be logged in and can use WhatsApp on your computer
Key notes about WhatsApp Web:
- Your phone must remain connected to the internet
- Messages sync seamlessly between computer and phone
- Notifications come through on your computer too
- Use the voice/video calling feature on computer as well
WhatsApp Web gives you the flexibility to seamlessly communicate across devices. It mirrors everything on your phone so you can chat with ease on your computer.
Using WhatsApp on Multiple Devices
Traditionally, WhatsApp has only been able to be used on one device at a time. You needed your phone connected in order to use WhatsApp Web. However, multi-device capability is now rolling out for some users.
With the new update, you can use WhatsApp Web, Desktop or Portal without your phone connected. Up to 4 devices can be linked at once. When using companion devices without your phone connected:
- You cannot delete messages or conversations
- If you delete the message on your phone, it remains on other devices
- If your phone battery dies, you get logged out of other devices
Multi-device allows more flexibility, but your phone still needs to be the primary device. It’s a useful step though as WhatsApp develops its capabilities further.
Competing with WhatsApp
While WhatsApp has a commanding lead in messaging, it faces increasing competition from apps like Signal, Telegram, Line, Viber and Facebook’s own Messenger.
Some key WhatApp competitor apps include:
| App | Key Features |
|---|---|
| Telegram | Enhanced encryption, desktop app, bots, channels |
| Signal | Strong encryption and privacy features |
| Facebook Messenger | Deep Facebook integration, chatbots |
| Viber | Simple interface, strong encryption |
These apps compete on security, simplicity, features and user experience. With its massive user base, WhatsApp has the advantage. But competitors continue to innovate in an effort to differentiate themselves.
WhatsApp Business API
The WhatsApp Business API allows businesses to communicate with customers using WhatsApp. Key capabilities include:
- Sending notifications like order confirmations
- Responding to customer inquiries
- Sending greeting messages
- Creating smart replies and auto responses
The WhatsApp Business API enables more intelligent messaging automation for businesses. It helps them engage their customers in a seamless, natural way using WhatApp’s interface.
Here are some key facts about the WhatsApp Business API:
| Launch date | August 2018 |
|---|---|
| Pricing model | Tiered pricing based on number of messages |
| Developer platform | Provides SDKs, code samples, documentation |
| Companies using it | Banks, airlines, e-commerce companies |
The WhatsApp Business API enables new opportunities for companies to transform customer engagement and support through intelligent conversational messaging.
WhatsApp Payments
WhatsApp Payments allows users to send and receive money securely through WhatsApp in some countries. Users can:
- Link bank account using UPI
- Send / receive payments from WhatsApp contacts
- Make payments in support chats to businesses
Key facts about WhatsApp Payments:
| Year launched | 2018 in India, 2020 in Brazil |
|---|---|
| Transaction fee | No fees taken |
| Partners | Backed by Facebook Pay, integrated with local bank transfer systems |
| Security | Uses Facebook’s security infrastructure and review processes |
WhatsApp Payments aims to make payments as convenient as sending a message. By integrating payments, WhatsApp is evolving into a platform for messaging, commerce and customer service.
Conclusion
The dotted circle icon in WhatsApp indicates when a user has enabled privacy settings to hide their last seen status from you. While some may view this as annoying, it is an important option that allows users to control their desired level of privacy and online presence. When messaging certain contacts or in particular situations, disabling last seen can be useful for focus, discretion, or other personal reasons. As users, we should aim to respect others’ privacy choices, just as we expect them to do for us. With its broad privacy controls, WhatsApp empowers users to tailor their preferences and find their comfort level for sharing.