Does whatsapp show online when in background? Explained

So we have the question of today, does whatsapp show online when in background or probably does not and do indicate that I’m offline if I minimize the app and have it run in the background.

I truly understand the fact that you want your friends or whatsapp contacts to see if online while in the real you’re not using the app as it is just running in the background. In a mobile phone, when an app runs in the background it simply means that the app is still open and active.

What of in the case of whatsapp?

Does whatsapp show online when in background?

I run a test to see actually if I will be seen online or offline(last seen) if I minimize the app on my mobile phone. So let’s jump in to the result.

Does whatsapp show online when in background

The answer is no. Whatsapp does not show online if the app is minimized and running in the background cause immediately you minimized the whatsapp application on your mobile phone, it will display last seen on your status.

The last seen indicates that you’re offline and not online. I did run a test to see if indeed my status will be online immediately I minimized the app on my mobile phone.

So I got two mobile phones with a whatsapp account, plus mine making it three phones with WhatsApp account. I opened my whatsapp and opened the other two phones as well and saw online my status, I immediately minimized my whatsapp and let it run in the background.

I checked my Whatsapp status using the other two phones, and what it showed as my status was last seen. It didn’t show online but rather the time I was last seen on whatsapp.

I did this four good times to be very much sure of what I’m seeing and same things happened. Immediately I minimized the app on my phone, checked my status using the other two phones, I saw last seen on my status.

This is to tell you that whatsapp will show the last seen time on your status immediately you minimized the app on your mobile phone. 

So looking at the question we have here does whatsapp show online when in background, absolutely no. It doesn’t but rather will show last seen on your whatsapp status and this is what everyone will until you open the app once again.

There’s no need to bother yourself about this, you yourself can decide to run a test and see for yourself. It will only require getting another mobile phone with a whatsapp account.

Open the two apps on the phone and check your whatsapp status on the other phone. You will see that it will display online on your status, then minimize the whatsapp and let it run in the background. Check the other phone once more and see what your whatsapp status will display.

Definitely it will last seen and not online.

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Now you have seen the answer to your question of does whatsapp show online when in background, let’s move on to the other questions we have on this post.

When does whatsapp show online

WhatsApp will show a user as online immediately the user with an active internet service opens the application on it’s mobile phone.

does whatsapp show online when in background

I know why I said with an active internet connection cause one can open the whatsapp application without having an active internet service or connection. One can also send a message without having an active internet connection though the message won’t be sent or delivered until there’s an active internet service on the user’s mobile phone.

So immediately the user opens the whatsapp on its phone, it will display online on the user’s whatsapp status.

It is not necessarily that someone will chat in order to seen as online on whatsapp, but rather once you opened the app which is like logging into your account will display your status as online.

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A user can be checking it’s whatsapp friend’s profile updates, updating it’s profile, chatting or reading messages or chats or leaving the app idle will all display the user as online. Immediately the user minimized the app, it will display last seen on the user status just like the question that is being asked here, does whatsapp show online when in background.

Whatsapp online meaning?

WhatsApp online meaning simply means that a user is active on whatsapp immediately the user  with a working internet services opens the whatsapp application on its phone.

Once the app is opened and displays the user account, the user is already active and will be deemed to be online. Checking on the user status with another whatsapp account will display the user as online.

However, in some cases you will see some number of whatsapp users hide their whatsapp status, in this case it will not show online on the user’s status.

Generally, whatsapp online means that a whatsapp user is currently active or available on whatsapp as at that very moment.

Does WhatsApp show online when in background iphone?

WhatsApp does not show online in background on iphone, immediately the app is minimized on the iPhone, it displays last seen on the user whatsapp status.

I run this test using both android and iPhone, and the two mobile phones both showed last seen immediately I minimized the app and let it run in the background.

Whether you’re using an android phone or the iPhone, whatsapp will display your status as offline or last seen immediately you minimized the app and let it run in the background.

Does WhatsApp Web show online when in background

WhatsApp web does not show online when in background. Even when you opened the app and not in background, the whatsapp web will show show as last seen unless the user is chatting.

Generally, as long as you’re in background or probably the whatsapp is running in the background, whatsapp will deem the user as offline, and in turn, display the user as offline or last seen.

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For whatsapp to show you as online, you must be active and the app shouldn’t be minimized or allowed to run in the background just like the question we have here, does whatsapp show online when in background.

Does WhatsApp show online when on laptop?

Yes. Whatsapp does show online when on laptop though the user must be active else it display last seen on the user’s status.

I opened my whatsapp account using the whatsapp web on my laptop, used another phone with a whatsapp account to chat my account and it displayed online on my status.

After few seconds of reading the chat, it showed I’m offline by displaying last seen on my whatsapp status. So what I’m trying to say is that if you’re chatting on the whatsapp web, it will show your status as online, but if you left it idle or checking your friends updates, etc, it will display your status as offline or last seen.

This is exactly what I noticed on my whatsapp web and it happened always.

Can you be online on WhatsApp without being online?

Yes of course, you can be online on WhatsApp and it will not show online on your whatsapp status, and lots of what’s user’s does this a lot.

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For me I don’t fancy this though vast number of whatsapp users love this so much. On the other hand your friends might start to ask who are you hiding from, why are you hiding, etc.

Now the question is;

How to not show online on whatsapp?

To do this, you will open your whatsapp application on your mobile phone and tap on the hamburger menu located at the right corner of your screen.

Select settings by tapping on it, and tap on account. This is followed by tapping on privacy and right there you will seen last seen.

does whatsapp show online when in background

Tap on last seen and change it from everybody to nobody.

As you changed the last seen to nobody, no one will see your whatsapp status as online. If you’re chatting or using your whatsapp, you will be in ghost mode cause it will not show you as online.

This is how to not show online on whatsapp, and as you can see it is just easy to set up. If you want to seen as online on your whatsapp status, you will have to use the same method but this time you will have to select everyone or my contacts if you wish to.

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I tried making my explanation easier and simpler to understand, and I do hope you really understood all I have explained on this post. Once again if you have your whatsapp application running in the background, be rest assured that it will not show your status as online but rather last seen as it deemed you to be inactive or offline.

With this I come to the conclusion of the post on does whatsapp show online when in background. I’m open to your questions and suggestions, thanks.

About Kennedy

I'm Amaechi Uchenna by name, a mobile tech enthusiast who love writing articles about tips and tutorials especially relating to gadgets.

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