WhatsApp is trialing a green "active now" dot on iPhone, similar to Instagram and iMessage. Here's how it works, where it appears, and what it means for your privacy settings.
How the green dot works
The dot sits in the bottom-right corner of a contact's profile picture. It appears while they have the app open and disappears the moment they close it or go inactive, with no lag and no "last active 5 minutes ago" guesswork.
Right now, you'll only see it on a contact's info page, not in the main chat list. That's a meaningful limitation: most people check availability while scrolling their chats, not while tapping into someone's profile. WABetaInfo suggests WhatsApp could bring the indicator to the chat screen itself before a full rollout, which would make it far more useful in practice.
If the format sounds familiar, that's because it is. Instagram and Apple's iMessage already use a nearly identical green-dot convention for online status. WhatsApp is essentially catching up to a UI pattern its own users already know.
Does it override your privacy settings?
No. WhatsApp says the feature respects whatever privacy choices you've already made. If you've turned off "last seen" or hidden your online status, the green dot simply won't show for you or for anyone. It's an additive feature, not a workaround for people trying to see the status of someone who's opted out.
That's a meaningful distinction, since a real-time "active now" signal is arguably more revealing than a static "last seen" timestamp. Building it on top of existing opt-outs, rather than as a separate toggle, keeps the privacy model consistent instead of adding a second setting people have to remember to manage.
Part of a bigger beta wave
The green dot isn't an isolated experiment. WhatsApp is simultaneously testing usernames (so people can be found without sharing a phone number), view-once text messages, and tighter privacy controls around Meta AI conversations. Taken together, it points to a platform trying to close feature gaps with Instagram and iMessage while still leaning on privacy as a selling point.
When is it coming out?
WhatsApp hasn't given a release date. Beta features like this can stall, get reworked, or quietly disappear before reaching a wide release. WABetaInfo simply notes that if testing goes smoothly, it's expected to eventually land on both iOS and Android.
FAQ
What is WhatsApp's new green dot feature? It's a real-time online status indicator that appears on a contact's profile photo while they're actively using WhatsApp, similar to the green dot used by Instagram and iMessage.
Where does the green dot show up on WhatsApp? Currently only on a contact's info/profile page in the iOS beta. It hasn't been added to the main chat list yet.
Will the green dot show if I've hidden my last seen status? No. WhatsApp says the feature respects existing privacy settings — if you've hidden your online status, the green dot won't appear for you.
Is the green dot available now? It's in limited beta testing on iOS (version 26.26.10.72). There's no confirmed release date for iOS or Android.
How is this different from WhatsApp's "last seen" feature? "Last seen" shows a timestamp of when someone was last active. The green dot shows real-time status — whether they're on the app right this second.
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