WhatsApp is rolling out a green dot indicator for online contacts on iOS, visible in a new dedicated Contacts section within the app’s settings. The feature arrived in iOS beta version 26.20.10.70 through TestFlight, several weeks after the same functionality launched on Android.
The Contacts hub consolidates availability into a single interface instead of forcing users to open individual chats to check who is active. Previously, online status appeared only at the top of conversation threads; discovering which contacts were currently available meant checking multiple conversations in sequence. The new hub displays contacts currently using the app at the top of the list, each marked with a green dot on their profile picture, followed by recently active users below.
WhatsApp has built privacy directly into the feature’s logic. Contacts who have disabled their online status or hidden their last seen information will not appear in the Contacts hub. If a user has chosen to hide their own online activity from others, that setting is respected across the board. The green dot does not override existing privacy settings; it simply makes publicly visible status easier to access.
This mirrors how online status already works in WhatsApp’s chat view, where only contacts who have permitted status sharing see the indicator. The Contacts hub extends that same principle to a centralized view.
The iOS rollout through TestFlight signals the feature is in advanced testing stages but not yet ready for stable release. TestFlight beta releases typically precede public availability by several weeks to a few months, depending on how quickly developers identify and resolve issues. Given that the Android version launched earlier in the year, iOS users should expect the green dot Contacts hub in a standard WhatsApp update within the coming months.
The green dot online indicator is not unique to WhatsApp. Telegram, Signal, and most other messaging platforms use similar visual cues to show availability at a glance. By adding a dedicated Contacts hub with this indicator, WhatsApp is adopting UX patterns users already expect from competing apps while maintaining its emphasis on privacy controls.
