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The latest iOS beta adds a Green Dot Indicator that makes it easier to identify when a contact is currently online of offline, eliminating the need to rely solely on the traditional “Online” text label.
TheGreen Dot Indicatorfeature was first spotted by WABetaInfo and is now rolling out to some users running WhatsApp beta for iOS 26.26.10.72 through Apple’s TestFlight program.
While the update is relatively minor, it reflects Meta’s ongoing effort to modernize WhatsApp’s interface with clearer visual cues that improve everyday communication.
TheGreen Dot Indicatorwill be a Simpler Way to Know Who’s Active
The new feature replaces the familiar “Online” text with a small green circle/oval displayed on the corner of a contact’s profile picture.
Whenever a person is actively using the WhatsApp, the green indicator appears automatically. As soon as they leave the app or are no longer online, the dot disappears in real time.
TheGreen Dot Indicatormakes it quicker to determine whether someone is available before sending a message or initiating a call.
With it, the iPhone users can identify a contact’s availability with a quick glance, bringing WhatsApp closer to the visual language already used across several other messaging platforms whereas the Green Dot Appears Only on the Chat Info Screen.
At this stage, the Green Dot does not appear throughout the app. Instead, users will only see it within the Chat Info page, which opens after tapping a contact’s name at the top of a conversation. However,the indicator does not currently appear in the Chats list,Conversation threads, Call history & even in the Contact lists. Here, the WhatsApp is not changing its privacy policy regarding online status.
The green dot follows the same rules that already govern the existing online indicator. If a user has disabled Last Seen & Online visibility through WhatsApp’s privacy settings, other people will not see the green dot.
Similarly, users who aren’t permitted to view someone’s online status under current privacy settings won’t suddenly gain access because of the new feature.
Meta first introduced the green online indicator to Android beta users last month before expanding testing to iOS. The iPhone implementation works almost identically to the Android version, ensuring consistency across both mobile platforms.
Although replacing text with a green dot may seem like a cosmetic adjustment, it can noticeably improve usability. Visual indicators are generally faster to recognize than text, especially when users frequently switch between conversations.
The design also aligns WhatsApp more closely with other Meta-owned platforms such as Instagram and Facebook Messenger, both of which already use green indicators to signal active users.
The green dot would naturally fit into such an interface by providing a consistent visual indicator across different parts of the app. WhatsApp has not officially confirmed these future plans, but the current beta suggests the company is laying the groundwork for a richer contact management experience.
The green dot indicator is currently available only to select beta testers running WhatsApp beta for iOS 26.26.10.72 through Apple’s TestFlight program.
WhatsApp is expanding access gradually, and some users on the stable App Store version may also receive the feature as part of limited testing. However, the company has not announced when & where the feature is going to be first available to all iPhone users or if the updates are going to be compatible in Android and iOS altogether.
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