How to hide last seen from specific contacts in WhatsApp

WhatsApp is one of the most popular instant messaging services out there. Even though the app is used by millions of people daily, there are some key features, such as hiding last seen, profile photo, and stories, from some specific contacts, that WhatsApp has lacked. Other instant messaging apps, such as Telegram and Signal, have allowed users to have control over their last seen (and other privacy settings) for quite some time now.

With the new privacy settings that WhatsApp has introduced, the company is bridging the gap with other apps and you can now hide the last seen in WhatsApp from specific contacts. In this simple how-to guide, we'll take you through the process of how you can stop sharing your last seen with specific contacts in your list in just a couple of steps.

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Last Seen refers to the time the contact last used WhatsApp. Currently, there are four options available to hide the last seen timestamp on WhatsApp:

• Everyone: This option shares your last seen status with everyone on WhatsApp, even if the other person is not on your contact list.
• My Contacts: This option shares your last seen timestamp with only the people on your contact list. Unsaved numbers and other people who are not on your contact list won't be able to your last seen status.
• My Contacts Except: If you select this option, WhatsApp shares your last seen status with all the people on your contact list except the people you select to block it from.
• Nobody: This will hide your last seen status from everybody.

Hide Last Seen in WhatsApp: Things you should know

Here are some things that you should keep in mind before you stop sharing last seen:

• If you hide your Last Seen from a specific contact, you won't be able to see other the other person's Last Seen as well.
• Currently, there is no way to hide "Online" and "Typing" status.
• Hiding last seen doesn't affect any other features of WhatsApp. The contacts you block from seeing your last seen can view your WhatsApp Status, Stories, About, and Profile Photo.

To hide Last Seen from specific contacts, we will use the "My Contacts Except…" option present in the Privacy settings of the app. The following step-by-step guide will help you hide Last Seen in WhatsApp on Android and iPhone.

How to hide Last Seen in WhatsApp on Android

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1. Open WhatsApp on your Android smartphone and tap the three-dot menu in the top-right corner.

2. Now select Settings.

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3. On the next screen that appears, select Account → Privacy → Last Seen.

4. Here, you will notice four options, namely Everyone, My Contacts, My Contacts except, and Nobody. To hide last seen from a specific contact, select the My contacts except... option.

5. Now select the contacts you want to hide your WhatsApp last seen from. Once done, tap the checkmark button in the bottom-right corner.

Your last seen timestamp would now be hidden from the contacts you selected. As stated above, you won't be able to see their last seen status either.

How to hide Last Seen in WhatsApp on iPhone

WhatsApp for iPhone also offers the option to hide your last seen timestamp. However, the location of the settings and the names are a bit different. Follow these steps to hide WhatsApp last seen from specific contacts on your iPhone:

Source: Pocketnow

1. First up, open the WhatsApp application on your iPhone.

2. Tap the gear-like Settings button in the bottom right corner.

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3. On the screen that appears, select Account → Privacy → Last Seen.

4. Similar to Android, you will notice four options, namely Everyone, My Contacts, My Contacts Except..., and Nobody. To hide last seen from a specific contact, tap on the My Contacts Except... button.

5. Now select the contacts you want to hide your WhatsApp last seen from. Once done, tap the Done button in the top-right corner.

With the new settings, WhatsApp has made the app more secure and private for the users. Meta continues to improve its highly-popular instant messaging app, introducing useful features with every update. What are your thoughts on WhatsApp allowing users to hide their last seen from particular contacts? Have you used this feature? Let us know in the comments section below!