Understanding WhatsaApp

[SocialMeeds]

How can someone have read a message but not been online since two hours before?

By pressing "mark as read" on the notification?

You can set WhatsApp so nobody can see when you’re online, or if you read it when it first comes through on your Home Screen you can read it without actually opening the message.

So why does this not update the ‘last seen’?

Because 'last seen' is when you were last on the app, if you mark as read from a notification you're not actually on the app.

If I read a message in my notification bar it shows as read, but it doesn't show I've been online as I haven't been in the app.

Because they are trying to throw stalkers off their scent

But you have read the message, albeit on the home screen?

@SocialMeeds

Yes, because you're reading the message from a notification. That doesn't register the same way as being on the app does, which is why it doesn't show as your "last seen". The last seen is linked to you accessing the app. Its like if you see something through a window in a room you're outside of, you've still seen the thing but not gone into the room, so there would be no record of you entering the room. That's kind of how it works!

Last seen is the last time you opened the app. Last seen WITHIN WhatsApp, if you will.

A message could be read on notifications, which means you have read the message, but you haven’t been in the app to see it.