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AIBU?

to hate that WhatsApp shows you are 'online'?

48 replies

reliwer · 14/03/2019 21:55

Just that really. Most of my friends and colleagues prefer to communicate by WhatsApp. Great for sending photos etc. I hate however that it shows you as 'online' - it's weird and stalkerish (IMO). Is there any way at all to turn this off?

OP posts:

Report

Newadventure · 14/03/2019 22:36

grace oh its nothing exciting. Mostly avoiding people or wanting to read what someone has sent without having the pressure of them knowing and expecting a reply. Also from me being slightly stalkerish...
Scenario: I'm dating someone.. I send them a message, sees he hasnt read it but that mother fucker was online at 16:45 and I sent the message at 14.34 so WHY is he ignoring me!? (Thats why i turned off last seen originally..)
So yeah, stuff like that.

Don't panic. This was all a very long time ago three years and I've grown up/gained sanity alot since then.

Newadventure · 14/03/2019 22:37

kate no. It will just stay at unread.
Try it next time you're with a friend (who won't judge you..)

ineedtostopbeingsolazy · 14/03/2019 22:40

You can turn off last seen but they will know if you've read a message. If you write a message and send it then swipe that message left it will say when it was delivered and what time it was read, though the 2 blue ticks tell you a message has been read anyway. Swiping is handy in a group chat.

Turn on flight mode then open WhatsApp and you can read messages.
Come out of WhatsApp and turn off flight mode it won't show that you e been online or read message.
Come out of that persons chat page (or whatever it's called) back onto the WhatsApp home screen before coming out of WhatsApp and turning flight mode back off because if you do what I do and press WhatsApp again you end up on the persons chat page and the message marks as read.

Shimy · 14/03/2019 22:41

Slight diversion, but it was an amazing day the day I discovered you could block people on WhatsApp without them knowing they’ve been blocked . They can see you in their contacts but will never reach you when they call (although it will be ringing) and their messages go into cyberspace.

OP I agree with you, it is very annoying that people can see you online. I reckon we’re only months away now from having technology that makes a caller suddenly materialise inyour room whenever they call.

Newadventure · 14/03/2019 22:41

Everyone knows you can delete messages from what'sapp now dont you?? From the other persons device too.
If you click to delete a message it will ask if you want to "delete for everyone".
I think you only have an hour or so to do it and can't do it if the other person has read it already.

MegaBat · 14/03/2019 22:41

Maybe some of you should just uninstall the app and use text instead? Doesn't seem worth the hassle

Newadventure · 14/03/2019 22:48

shimy Sorry but if you have a profile picture up they will know you've blocked them as the icon thing (where your profile picture is) will go grey.

RLOU30 · 14/03/2019 22:48

Lol so true

Grace212 · 14/03/2019 22:52

Newadventure backing away slowly

MegaBat yes, I was happy with just text but I think for people on PAYG etc it's easier to have WhatsApp.

southeastdweller · 14/03/2019 22:55

Maybe some of you should just uninstall the app and use text instead? Doesn't seem worth the hassle

This.

GiantKitten · 14/03/2019 22:59

fwiw one of my (grown-up) kids never has "last seen today at xx" under his name.

I can't remember if it says "online" when he is but I suspect not.

If you go to Settings, account, privacy, there's a Status option
Share with all contacts
All except...
or
Only Share with selected contacts

Does that remove your "onine" status?

QueenEhlana · 14/03/2019 23:01

OMG, you can mute a conversation for a year? cool.....

Thanks for the link @Newadventure, I'm trying out the hacks right now.

GiantKitten · 14/03/2019 23:02

Thing with text is it charges extra for images.
Also for messaging people outside the EU.
Whatsapp does all that for nothing

Kiwirose · 14/03/2019 23:14

personally the thing I love about whatsapp is the fact you can tell if someone has seen the message or not. When we have childcare issues I can tell that my husband has got the message - which you can't tell with text. Also great for children so that you know they have seen the message.

Guess it depends what you want

PinkSubscriber · 14/03/2019 23:14

If you have a Fitbit and read your messages on that it doesn’t show on your phone as being read.

Newadventure · 14/03/2019 23:16

I'm not going to stop using WhatsApp (It's the main app I use and all my friends and family use it) on the off chance I'll get a message that I don't want to reply to straight away. And like a pp said, it's better for sending pictures and videos.
I was just sharing random 'hacks' ive learnt over the years for the fun of the thread (and coz I'm bored). I don't live for WhatsApp

CastleCrasher · 14/03/2019 23:25

The deleting messages from the other person's device does work, even if they've read it, as long as you do it within the hour (or whatever time period it is).

Newadventure · 14/03/2019 23:28

Oooh castle!
Every days a school day!

llangennith · 14/03/2019 23:56

Go to Settings…Account …Privacy…Last seen
and turn it off for either Everybody, My Contacts or Nobody.
I'm quite happy for anyone to see when I was last on WA or if I've read their messages. I'll choose if and when I reply.

RLOU30 · 15/03/2019 02:08

@llangennith

Doing that just stops displaying your last seen time it doesn’t stop you from being “online” when you open the application

Albadross · 15/03/2019 02:54

Can someone enlighten me here - why do people seem to have such an issue with reading or responding to msgs? It takes all of 10 seconds yet people sometimes don't read them for days at a time and although I don't expect immediate replies I just find it weird that you can be having a relaxed chat one day over several houra and then suddenly it's as if that person has been kidnapped... What's the big deal unless it's someone you don't like?

SocksInPeril · 15/03/2019 07:53

Albadross I do this sometimes and it will for one of two reasons - I’m busy, want to reply later when I’ve got time but not sure when that will be so I don’t open the message - then I forget about it.
The other reason is that I don’t always have the social energy for discussions. It’s the social media equivalent of crossing the street to avoid talking to someone.

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Shimy · 15/03/2019 08:06

@Newadventure I know that’s why I don’t have my picture on my profile.

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