WhatsApp last seen not showing for some contacts is quite common and could be a WhatsApp bug, an internet server glitch, or a deliberate attempt by your WhatsApp contact to hide their last seen.
The last seen and online feature on WhatsApp shows the last time your contacts used WhatsApp or whether they’re online or not. Moreover, WhatsApp privacy settings allow users to change who can see their last seen and online status.
Usually, when a particular contact’s last seen is not showing, it could be that they hid it via privacy settings, you set your privacy settings to hide your last seen (if you hide your last seen on WhatsApp, you can’t see other people’s last seen), they probably blocked you, they are not saved as your contact, or you are not saved as their contact.
There are a lot more possibilities that this guide will help you use to know why the last seen is not showing for some of your contacts, as well as to know whether your contact may have blocked your number or not.
By the way, note that if you’ve not been blocked, even with their last seen not showing, WhatsApp will still tell the person when you’re typing. Even WhatsApp confirms that here.
WhatsApp last seen not showing for some contacts
There are possible reasons why the “last seen” status won’t show for some WhatsApp contacts.
1. Contacts turned off their WhatsApp “last seen” for your number
Anyone can disable last seen on WhatsApp for selected contacts. Thus, if some of your contacts use the feature, you won’t be able to see their last seen status. Also, any contact that blocks you from seeing their last seen can’t see your Last Seen on WhatsApp.
It’s even possible that the person specifically hid their Last Seen from your phone number alone, which causes WhatsApp last seen not showing for some contacts. To know if this is the case, try checking whether their last seen is active on another person’s WhatsApp.
2. They are using third-party or mod WhatsApp
There are mod (modified) or third-party WhatsApp applications (which we do not recommend) such as WhatsApp Plus and GBWhatsApp that allow users to customize their last seen to whatever they want and still be able to see other people’s last seen. That’s to say that your contact knows your last seen but their own is not showing.
Note that mod WhatsApp apps are not recommended for your privacy. Make sure to only use the official WhatsApp if you care about your privacy and security.
3. Contacts have not saved your number
WhatsApp last seen is not showing for some contacts because they probably have not saved your number. Perhaps, they set their last seen to “Contacts” only, so this information is not shared with you until they save your number.
You can ask them to save your phone number so that you can see their last seen. However, you’ll be able to see when they are online whether they have saved your contact or not.
4. You disabled last seen on your WhatsApp
If you disabled the Last Seen status on your WhatsApp account, you won’t be able to see other people’s last seen.
Make sure you have not turned off your last seen and that it is available to all your contacts to avoid WhatsApp last seen not showing for some contacts. Do the following:
Android
- Tap More options
- Tap Settings
- Tap Privacy
iPhone
- Tap Settings
- Privacy
KaiOS
- Press Options
- Settings
- Account
- Privacy
Desktop
- Click Menu
- Settings
- Privacy
Finally, you can change your Last Seen and Online to be viewable by all or selected contacts. This way, their last seen should start showing.
5. Contact has blocked you on WhatsApp
It’s unlikely that some contacts blocked your number on WhatsApp, especially if you have a good relationship with them. That’s not to say that anything is not possible—you may have been blocked.
Fortunately, even though WhatsApp does not tell you when you’re blocked, there are indicators you can use to know when any contact blocks you.
- their last seen or online is no longer visible to you;
- their profile photo is no longer visible and doesn’t update;
- when you message them, it shows just one check mark (message sent), and never shows a double check mark (message delivered); and
- making a phone or video call with the contact does not work.
If you notice any of these indicators, it’s a sign that you have been blocked by your WhatsApp contacts. Before you conclude that you have been blocked, wait for some time, it could be that the person is offline or stopped using WhatsApp.
6. Some contacts deleted their WhatsApp account
If some of your contacts no longer use WhatsApp, you won’t see their last seen. Moreover, WhatsApp will notify you to invite the user back.
7. Internet connection or WhatsApp server problem
If you have an unstable internet connection, there will be WhatsApp last seen not showing for some contacts.
Moreover, there are times when WhatsApp servers malfunction, so this can temporarily stop showing last seen for some contacts. You just have to wait for some time until the servers get back to normal. When WhatsApp servers are down, you will also notice delays in sending messages or viewing statuses.
WhatsApp last seen not updating but message read
If WhatsApp “last seen” status is not updating but message read, check your internet connection. Without a stable internet connection, the last seen status won’t be accurate. If your contact’s internet connection is bad, their last seen will not update but message read. Take a look at the screenshot below—you’ll notice that the last seen is not updating but the messages mark read. This is because the person I was chatting with had bad network issues, so WhatsApp was unable to accurately report their last seen:
Also, check your privacy settings. If your privacy settings option is set to “Nobody,” the “last seen” status will not update, even if you have read their messages or they have read your messages.
Check to see whether “Airplane Mode” is enabled. If “Airplane Mode” is enabled on your device, the “last seen” status will not update after message is read, even if you have an active internet connection.
If you have “Do Not Disturb” mode enabled, turn it off to update the “last seen” status if you have an active internet connection.
Note that if your contact is using a third-party or mod WhatsApp, they may have frozen their WhatsApp last seen from updating. Fortunately, you can tell when someone freezes their last seen on WhatsApp.
If none of these solutions above resolve the issue, the problem could be with the WhatsApp server or a recent bug in the app that WhatsApp is yet to fix. You can try reinstalling WhatsApp or restarting your device if you think that the problem is from your end.
How do I fix the last seen glitch on WhatsApp?
If WhatsApp last seen won’t update, below are possible fixes if it’s a WhatsApp glitch from your end:
1. Clear Cache for WhatsApp
If you’re an Android user, you can clear the cache, restart WhatsApp and check if it fixes the Last Seen not showing.
2. Update WhatsApp
Perhaps, you have not yet updated your WhatsApp to the latest version—doing so can fix the last seen glitch. An outdated version of the WhatsApp app can stop showing last seen, which is simply a bug that WhatsApp may have fixed in the latest updates.
3. Switch to a stable internet connection
If you have internet connection issues, this can could stop WhatsApp last seen from showing for everyone or some contacts. Make sure to switch to a stable internet network, connect to a stable Wifi network, or wait until your network connectivity is reliable.
4. Update your privacy settings
The problem may not be a glitch but rather due to your WhatsApp privacy settings. If you disabled your last seen for selected contacts or nobody, you won’t also be able to see the last seen of the selected contact or any contact at all in your WhatsApp account. Just set the last seen to everyone or to the specific contacts whose last seen you want to see.
How do you see someone’s last seen on WhatsApp if they have hidden it?
There is no direct way to see someone’s last seen on WhatsApp if they have hidden it. Nevertheless, below are alternatives:
- WhatsApp bio date. If they recently updated their WhatsApp bio, check the date to know whether they’ve recently been online to change it or not.
- Their DP changes. If their DP changes from their last DP, you can tell that they have hidden their last seen.
- messages mark delivered. If your messages to them are marked delivered (double checkmarks), they are online.
- They read the group messages you send. If you and the person are in the same WhatsApp group, send a message to that group. If that contact is among those who read the message, use the timestamp to know their last seen.
- They update their status. If they update their WhatsApp status, that tells you that they have been online.
You can ask the person to exclude your contact from their hidden list if it’s important to know their last seen.
Will someone know if I check their last seen on WhatsApp?
Someone will not know if you check their last seen on WhatsApp. The “last seen” feature only allows you to know when a contact or a WhatsApp user was last online and does not notify the person about it.
That said, the only way anyone will know that you checked their “last seen” is if you read their message and both of you have enabled the “Read Receipts” feature on WhatsApp. This is only an indicator since it applies to individual messages and not the “last seen” status.
Ultimately, nobody will be notified if you check their “last seen” status on WhatsApp.
Can you see last seen on WhatsApp if blocked?
If you have been blocked on WhatsApp, you can’t see the person’s last seen on WhatsApp. When you have been blocked on WhatsApp, you can no longer see even the messages or any updates of the person, so it’s not relevant for you to see their last seen.
When you have been blocked, you won’t also be able to see any updates to the person’s profile picture or status. Messages you send to the person will not be delivered. Note that there are other reasons why someone’s last seen status may not be showing to you. For example, if the person set their last seen to Nobody, you won’t see their last seen online.
