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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

THIS IS A TOTAL GAME CHANGER SURELY

269 replies

isitanoaktree · 04/11/2022 22:54

Whatsapp has now provided an update whereby users can hide their 'online' status. This is honestly brilliant and a long time coming.

I have just breathed an audible sigh of relief knowing that being seen online won't cause issues for me in the future now.

What does this mean though for cheating spouses and partners who were caught out, in part, because they were seen online at odd hours or only ever online when they were locked in the bathroom? Interesting one...

Plays right into the hands of philanderers doesn't it...

OP posts:
isitanoaktree · 04/11/2022 23:07

EmilyGilmoresSass · 04/11/2022 23:07

Until now you could hide last seen. Unfortunately for my ex, even with this function, if we were online at same time it still showed he was online.

Urgh. Was he cheating?

OP posts:
BuzzBeeEmoticon · 04/11/2022 23:07

Forgot to say - thank you for this! I’ve been waiting for it and I didn’t know it had happened!

isitanoaktree · 04/11/2022 23:09

DontBuyANewMumCashmere · 04/11/2022 23:03

This isn't new, and on many phones you can avoid this by reading the message in notification rather than opening the app.

Or just not stalking your contacts to see how long everyone takes to reply.😂 People have their own lives, and mobile phones are for each person's own convenience, not as a summons from you to someone else. DH gets ratty when his mum doesn't answer or has gone into the garden without her phone. Jeez calm down, some people want a bit of quiet time without feeling at someone else's beck and call.
(this isn't directed to you personally OP, just in general. Obviously I'm secretly annoyed with my DH for being like this!)

You are incorrect unfortunately, because it is an entirely new update to the app.

But yes I know your later comment wasn't directed at me, because I feel similarly, that people should not be expected to be surgically attached to their phones and always available immediately! I prefer to not feel pressured to respond quickly which is partly why I am happy with this new privacy update that allows you to hide your online status.

OP posts:
unwillingantisocial · 04/11/2022 23:09

So many posters desperate to say the OP is wrong

MintyVinty · 04/11/2022 23:10

BuzzBeeEmoticon · 04/11/2022 23:07

Forgot to say - thank you for this! I’ve been waiting for it and I didn’t know it had happened!

And thank you from me too! In my haste to get on there and change the settings I forgot to say 😁

isitanoaktree · 04/11/2022 23:10

unwillingantisocial · 04/11/2022 23:09

So many posters desperate to say the OP is wrong

HONESTLY -- the number of people who are willing to so confidently assert that something is fact when it is utter fiction is just so irritating... 😩

OP posts:
YouBoggleMyMind · 04/11/2022 23:11

Bingo 🥳

THIS IS A TOTAL GAME CHANGER SURELY
isitanoaktree · 04/11/2022 23:11

BuzzBeeEmoticon · 04/11/2022 23:07

Forgot to say - thank you for this! I’ve been waiting for it and I didn’t know it had happened!

You are very welcome! I share your joy haha

OP posts:
isitanoaktree · 04/11/2022 23:11

MintyVinty · 04/11/2022 23:10

And thank you from me too! In my haste to get on there and change the settings I forgot to say 😁

Haha, no problem! Glad you are in the same camp!

OP posts:
BedTaker · 04/11/2022 23:13

isitanoaktree · 04/11/2022 23:05

'Last seen' is a time stamp, and shows when you were last seen online. So for example 'last seen 10.16am'.

'Online' status shows when the person is online there and then, under their name, and changes to 'typing' when they are typing a message.

So for instance, if I am writing a message to you @Rowthe then anyone else who I also whatsapp can see that I am online and essentially wonder who I am writing to, why I have time to write to others and not them if I have not replied to their message, or whether I am cheating on you as my status is constantly online in the small hours or when I am supposed to be otherwise busy, like at work.

Do people seriously have the time in their lives to be looking at and analysing shit like this? Confused

isitanoaktree · 04/11/2022 23:14

BedTaker · 04/11/2022 23:13

Do people seriously have the time in their lives to be looking at and analysing shit like this? Confused

Sadly, yes. And many a cheating partner and spouse has been found out this way.

OP posts:
DramaGiraffe · 04/11/2022 23:14

Thanks OP this is great!

mn29 · 04/11/2022 23:14

isitanoaktree · 04/11/2022 23:01

No you can't.

Yes, you can. I have done for years.

isitanoaktree · 04/11/2022 23:16

mn29 · 04/11/2022 23:14

Yes, you can. I have done for years.

No, you haven't. Please see other posters comments here for verification, or you know, do a quick google search. You will soon see that you are wrong. But you evidently already know that and this is a troll post.

OP posts:
SomethingVexesThee · 04/11/2022 23:17

I never check whether my WhatsApp contacts are online Confused Just use it as an alternative to texting. Send message. Hopefully receive message back.

isitanoaktree · 04/11/2022 23:17

SomethingVexesThee · 04/11/2022 23:17

I never check whether my WhatsApp contacts are online Confused Just use it as an alternative to texting. Send message. Hopefully receive message back.

You may not. But plenty of people do. I agree that in an ideal world shit like this would not happen.

OP posts:
FlissyPaps · 04/11/2022 23:18

unwillingantisocial · 04/11/2022 23:09

So many posters desperate to say the OP is wrong

Yep! The replies to these type of threads really make me laugh at the amount of snotty people who think they know how the app works. And they really don’t 😂

OP: YANBU, this is the new feature I’ve been waiting for!!

isitanoaktree · 04/11/2022 23:20

FlissyPaps · 04/11/2022 23:18

Yep! The replies to these type of threads really make me laugh at the amount of snotty people who think they know how the app works. And they really don’t 😂

OP: YANBU, this is the new feature I’ve been waiting for!!

These people must be used to getting things wrong and just have become totally desensitised to their own stupidity, frankly.

Glad to hear you are also pleased about the new feature!

OP posts:
Macaroni1924 · 04/11/2022 23:20

You can hide your status BUT when you go on it says online. My friend asked me to check for her as she had it set to share with nobody however when she was on it still did say online.

isitanoaktree · 04/11/2022 23:20

DramaGiraffe · 04/11/2022 23:14

Thanks OP this is great!

🙌

OP posts:
isitanoaktree · 04/11/2022 23:21

Macaroni1924 · 04/11/2022 23:20

You can hide your status BUT when you go on it says online. My friend asked me to check for her as she had it set to share with nobody however when she was on it still did say online.

Yes, exactly...

OP posts:
jonesy1999 · 04/11/2022 23:22

YouBoggleMyMind · 04/11/2022 23:11

Bingo 🥳

So it's the same as before in that if you turn yours off, you won't be able to see other peoples last seen / online status?

Macaroni1924 · 04/11/2022 23:22

But loving this new feature thanks, going to let my friend know as she was raging when I could still see her online 😂

isitanoaktree · 04/11/2022 23:24

jonesy1999 · 04/11/2022 23:22

So it's the same as before in that if you turn yours off, you won't be able to see other peoples last seen / online status?

Yes that's right. Unless you turn yours back on temporarily to see when they were last online and then switch the settings back after. But this is only for the most diligent of stalkers!

OP posts:
isitanoaktree · 04/11/2022 23:25

Macaroni1924 · 04/11/2022 23:22

But loving this new feature thanks, going to let my friend know as she was raging when I could still see her online 😂

raging over this? 😳

OP posts: