What the 'last seen' status on WhatsApp means, and how to turn yours off

• The "last seen" message on WhatsApp tells you how long it's been since that user logged in.
• If their status says "online," it means that they're using WhatsApp right now.
• You can use the Privacy menu to change who's allowed to see your "last seen" message.

Plenty of websites and apps have "last seen" features, and they all serve a similar purpose: To let you know who's an active user, and who hasn't thought about the app in months.

What 'last seen' means on WhatsApp

If you're in a one-on-one conversation with someone on WhatsApp, you might see a message at the top of the screen that says last seen at. This message shows you the last time that the person you're chatting with logged into WhatsApp.

If they've logged on within the past day, it'll tell you the exact time they last used WhatsApp. If it's been longer than that, it'll give you the full date.

On the other hand, if it just says Online, it means that user is logged into WhatsApp right at that moment. And if it says Typing, it means that they're writing a message to you.

While this feature is useful for keeping tabs on your friends, it might also be more information than you're comfortable sharing. If that's the case, you can turn your own "last seen" status off.

How to turn off 'last seen' on WhatsApp

These settings will change who's allowed to see your "last seen" status. Just note that if you disable your own "last seen" status, you won't be able to see other users' statuses either. You have to share your own status to see anyone else's.

1. Open WhatsApp and tap Settings in the bottom-right corner (iPhone) or tap the three dots in the top-right and select Settings (Android).

2. Tap Account, and then Privacy.

3. Select the Last Seen option and pick who's allowed to see your status: Everyone, My Contacts, or Nobody.

It'll save as soon as you pick an option.