Do you use Telegram, the increasingly popular messaging and cloud-based storage platform? While Telegram offers a vast range of features, some users may be uncomfortable with the fact that their contacts can see when they were last seen in the app. If you want to keep your activity private, this article will guide you through the simple steps to hide your last seen on Telegram.
1. Introduction to Telegram
Telegram is an instant messaging application that has a wide range of features. It is available on mobile devices, desktops and the web. It offers both individual and group chats, as well as the ability to share files and photos between users. It also supports voice and video calls.
Notable Features:
- Instant messaging
- Voice and video calls
- Offers cloud-based storage for media, files and messages
- Secure communication
- Offline messaging mode
Telegram offers high degree of privacy and security. It has an optional two-step verification process; this feature helps in enhancing the account security. It also allows users to create secret chats that have end-to-end encryption, which ensures that messages can only be read by the intended recipient.
2. Understanding Last Seen Functionality on Telegram
Overview
Last Seen Functionality on Telegram is a feature that enables users to know when another user was online last. It can be seen in individual and group chats, which give users an idea of whether messages have been read or not.
How to Use Last Seen Functionality
- When an individual user has sent you a message, their timestamp of the message and their “last seen” time will automatically appear.
- For groups, if more than one user has sent a message, only the last user’s “last seen” time will be shown.
- Users can also disable or limit their “last seen” functionality.
Limitations
The Last Seen feature only gives an indication of whether a user was online recently, not the exact time or date. Furthermore, users can disable or limit the Last Seen feature, making it difficult to track when someone was active on the app.
3. Steps to Disable Last Seen Feature
The Last Seen feature on WhatsApp allows someone to track when their contacts were last online. Some people find this intrusive and prefer to remain anonymous, therefore here are three steps to help disable this handy but potentially annoying feature:
- Open WhatsApp on your device and tap on the Menu Icon located at the top-right of the screen.
- Go to Settings and tap on Account.
- Select Privacy then Last Seen and choose the desired privacy mode.
You can disable this feature altogether by selecting Nobody. If you don’t wish to reveal your Last Seen status, select My Contacts instead. This ensures that your contacts can see when you were last active, while other contacts are unable to track you.
If you would like to choose which contacts can or cannot see your Last Seen status, select the “Choose Contacts” option. Your contacts will then be listed and you can individually select the permission settings for each contact.
4. Exploring Advanced Options for Last Seen
Location Tracking: Many smartphone devices have features that allow users to track the location of their contacts. Together with the “last seen” feature, users can use location tracking to keep an eye on their contacts’ movements. Location tracking is generally available as an opt-in feature, so consent is needed from both parties before sharing location information.
Presence Indicators: Presence indicators give users a deeper look into the status and availability of their contacts. If a user is marked as “inactive” or “off-line”, then other users can also see that information. Some presence indicators also allow users to see what kind of activities their contacts are involved in. However, these indicators have to be enabled separately and not everybody will have them enabled.
Customization: Users can customize their last seen settings according to their preferences. Users can choose to show their last seen only to select contacts, hide it completely or set it to show only occasionally. Additionally, users can also customize the presence indicator to show different activities such as “at work”, “gone out” or “away”. Some app also offer advanced customization options, such as:
- Time limit: users can set the time limit for how long the “last seen” status will be visible.
- Time zone: users can choose to display the time zone where their contacts are located.
- Customize messages: some apps allow users to customize a message that will be displayed along with the “last seen” status.
5. Adjusting Default Settings for Last Seen
If you’re a frequent user of WhatsApp, you would know about the ‘Last Seen’ feature, which shows when your contacts were last active. However, everyone else can see that too and this is where you might want to adjust the default settings. Here’s how:
- Open WhatsApp – tapping on the WhatsApp icon on the home screen.
- Select the ‘Settings’ tab – this appears as the ‘gear’ icon at the bottom right corner.
- Select ‘Accounts’ and then tap on ‘Privacy’.
- Adjust the settings – you can choose between ‘Everybody’, ‘My Contacts’, or ‘Nobody’ as your preferred ‘ Last Seen’ setting.
Nobody means no one can see when you were last active, My Contacts allows only your contacts to view this information, and Everybody shows the ‘Last Seen’ time to everyone. Ensure that you adjust the settings according to your own discretion and convenience. You can also choose to hide your ‘home’ website, ‘status’, read receipts, profile picture, and your ‘about’ information from specific people as per your preference.
Once you’re done with the adjustments, it’s time to go back to chatting with your friends, family, and colleagues. The ‘Last Seen’ feature allows you to see when other people were last active and this drop-down menu is great to adjust the settings per your discretion.
To conclude, setting up a quick and easy way to hide your Last Seen on Telegram is a simple process that can provide you with valuable privacy. You can make sure that your contacts are not able to view your Last Seen if you are not available to chat and that your online status remains anonymous. Whether you want to protect yourself from prying eyes or simply stay away from any unnecessary contact, setting up Telegram to hide your Last Seen is an excellent solution.
