Whatsapp will soon show you which of your contacts has been online recently

It looks like the app wants you to talk to more people beyond your usual daily conversations.

Whatsapp will soon show you which of your contacts has been online recently
WhatsApp logo on smartphone next to everyday accessories Stock photo 1
Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
  • WhatsApp has been spotted working on new features that encourage proactive conversations with new people. These features have been spotted in beta releases and could roll out to users in the future.
  • A new section at the bottom of the main chat list will suggest new contacts for users to start talking to.
  • When adding people to a call, users can see a few recently online contacts.

In many parts of the world, WhatsApp is the de facto king of instant messaging apps. Many of us use it for all of our communication needs, be they work or personal. Communication can go beyond reactive needs, and it appears that WhatsApp wants to encourage people to have more proactive conversations. New features have been spotted in the messaging app that gently points users to talk to their recent online contacts.

WABetaInfo has spotted several features in WhatsApp beta releases that would help proactive conversations. For instance, WhatsApp is said to be working on a feature that suggests contacts to chat with. A new section at the bottom of the main chats list will suggest new contacts from the user’s address book that they can start chatting with. This section could point users to talk to people they haven’t talked to before on this platform.