WhatsApp has launched a new privacy measure that hides your "last seen" status with people you don't know or have never talked to in the app (via WABetaInfo). Previously, WhatsApp set the feature to "everyone" by default, allowing anyone on WhatsApp to see your status.WhatsApp's new update limits the visibility of your status to the people you add to the platform and sets the feature to "My Contacts" by default.
In a post on Twitter, one user explained that you might no longer be able to see other people's statuses on the platform, and included an email that appeared to be from a WhatsApp support staff member describing the new feature." We're making it harder for people you don't know and haven't talked to see your last WhatsApp presence and online presence," the email said.
The "My Contacts" option already shows your "last seen" status, but that's not the default setting for the app. Notably, WhatsApp already has a "nobody" option that blocks all users from seeing your status. Your status on WhatsApp lets other contacts know when you were last online or if you're using the app now. While this may seem like a harmless way to keep track of friends and family (and vice versa), WABetaInfo points out that some third-party apps take advantage of this feature.
These applications can aggregate the status of some users, which can cause some users to pay too close attention to other users using the platform. Turning on the "My Contacts" option prevents third-party apps from logging your online status because the app is not considered to be one of your contacts, so it won't see your status.
This isn't the only change WhatsApp has made to its "last seen" status. In November, WABetaInfo discovered that the messaging app had started testing an app called "My contacts In addition to…Options.It allows users to hide their status from certain contacts.WhatsApp also introduced an option to make its disappearing messages a default feature to protect users' privacy.
