They should really allow people to disable this. I was surprised when a user came to me saying this is possible even with full privacy.
Tracking the WhatsApp habits of random smartphones
51–60 of 120 posts
Re: Tracking the WhatsApp habits of random smartphones
#52I've been using WhatsApp for years, reluctantly since it is the de-facto SMS standard in my country. I will never, ever, understand the "online" status feature. It is ridiculously invasive and cannot ever be turned off or even hidden from specific contacts. This is a SMS client, not a chat client, and revealing a user's online status is highly problematic both socially and security-wise. I can't help but wonder how m…
With Android phones you could possibly use an app like NoRoot Firewall to cut off net access for the app when you want to appear offline. Unfortunately that's a pretty "advanced" use of apps for the average consumer and definitely not a replacement for building this in natively.
Or turn on airplane mode
Re: Tracking the WhatsApp habits of random smartphones
#53I've been using WhatsApp for years, reluctantly since it is the de-facto SMS standard in my country. I will never, ever, understand the "online" status feature. It is ridiculously invasive and cannot ever be turned off or even hidden from specific contacts. This is a SMS client, not a chat client, and revealing a user's online status is highly problematic both socially and security-wise. I can't help but wonder how m…
> I can't help but wonder how many lives this feature has ruined
I agree with your comment completely, but isn't this a bit a bit of an exaggeration?
Re: Tracking the WhatsApp habits of random smartphones
#54I've been using WhatsApp for years, reluctantly since it is the de-facto SMS standard in my country. I will never, ever, understand the "online" status feature. It is ridiculously invasive and cannot ever be turned off or even hidden from specific contacts. This is a SMS client, not a chat client, and revealing a user's online status is highly problematic both socially and security-wise. I can't help but wonder how m…
With Android phones you could possibly use an app like NoRoot Firewall to cut off net access for the app when you want to appear offline. Unfortunately that's a pretty "advanced" use of apps for the average consumer and definitely not a replacement for building this in natively.
Actually pointless as online status is shown when you open the app.
And you have to do that fir checking messages.
Re: Tracking the WhatsApp habits of random smartphones
#55I've been using WhatsApp for years, reluctantly since it is the de-facto SMS standard in my country. I will never, ever, understand the "online" status feature. It is ridiculously invasive and cannot ever be turned off or even hidden from specific contacts. This is a SMS client, not a chat client, and revealing a user's online status is highly problematic both socially and security-wise. I can't help but wonder how m…
> I can't help but wonder how many lives this feature has ruined. and relationships
This seems like a stretch to me. I agree this feature is unnecessary and invasive. But why would it destroy relationships?
Re: Tracking the WhatsApp habits of random smartphones
#56Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I can't help but wonder how many lives this feature has ruined. and relationships
This seems like a stretch to me. I agree this feature is unnecessary and invasive. But why would it destroy relationships?
It doesn't take much imagination to come up with a hypothetical scenario. Person is writing to their partner but receiving no reply, however they can see that their partner has been online for the past 30 minutes. Person is convinced that their partner is talking to that one guy from the gym.
I have definitely been called out for being online but not replying, so I can easily imagine how that can end up becoming a big drama in some relationships.
Re: Tracking the WhatsApp habits of random smartphones
#57Earlier quoted context omitted.
With Android phones you could possibly use an app like NoRoot Firewall to cut off net access for the app when you want to appear offline. Unfortunately that's a pretty "advanced" use of apps for the average consumer and definitely not a replacement for building this in natively.
Actually pointless as online status is shown when you open the app. And you have to do that fir checking messages.
Depends on your reasons for showing offline. If offline is a proxy for “I am not here to check and respond to messages”, such as when you’re sleeping, quite useful. If not, and you’d prefer to be constantly offline for privacy reasons, less useful.
Re: Tracking the WhatsApp habits of random smartphones
#58I've been using WhatsApp for years, reluctantly since it is the de-facto SMS standard in my country. I will never, ever, understand the "online" status feature. It is ridiculously invasive and cannot ever be turned off or even hidden from specific contacts. This is a SMS client, not a chat client, and revealing a user's online status is highly problematic both socially and security-wise. I can't help but wonder how m…
> This is a SMS client, not a chat client
That is a subjective take that's mainly in your head.
WhatsApp is a client for chatting, so it is a chat client. It does not use the SMS network, so it is not an SMS client.
Some countries such as US and France had free SMS services, that enabled it to be used as chat. Other places SMS being costly it was used as a "write ideally one message" functionality, similar to email (which only costs in other ways, in human time, but not in actual bills). You can see this in the design of the Messages app in iPhone for example.
Re: Tracking the WhatsApp habits of random smartphones
#59Earlier quoted context omitted.
My anecdata but, my friend in France does and has been forever. That's how her and I keep in contact and video chat. Perhaps their sample wasn't representative.
I'd say a sample of 5000 random phone numbers is more representative than individual comments from a community obsessed (in a positive way) with privacy.
That's not my argument. My friend isn't privacy obsessed and not a part of this community.
Re: Tracking the WhatsApp habits of random smartphones
#60I've been using WhatsApp for years, reluctantly since it is the de-facto SMS standard in my country. I will never, ever, understand the "online" status feature. It is ridiculously invasive and cannot ever be turned off or even hidden from specific contacts. This is a SMS client, not a chat client, and revealing a user's online status is highly problematic both socially and security-wise. I can't help but wonder how m…
> since it is the de-facto SMS standard in my country. Same in my country, I don't think Americans (or the American tech culture) realise how ubiquitous WhatsApp is in Europe and around the world.
I'm in a European country and no one uses whatsapp here. I have it but only to talk to foreing friends.