WhatsApp Ghost: use WhatsApp without being shown as online

Martin Brinkmann
Feb 4, 2014
Updated • Jul 17, 2019
Apps, Google Android
|
15

Whenever you open the WhatsApp messaging application on your mobile device, your last seen counter is updated to reflect that.

What this means is that any contact that you have in WhatsApp sees when you were online the last time when they open the app on their device.

While that may not be an issue all of the time, you may sometimes want to avoid that your last online date and time is updated, for instance if you do not want someone to know that you read their message, or that you did not reply to their message the moment you read it.

It is possible to read messages on WhatsApp without being shown as online to others. I have outlined how that is done without software before.

whatsapp hide last seen

Basically, you disable all network connections before you open the WhatsApp program. You can read all messages that have been downloaded to your system, and since you do not have a network connection at that time, your last seen date and time won't be updated as a consequence.

Update: WhatsApp Ghost is no longer available and a comparable app is not available. Note that you may disable Last Seen in the WhatsApp settings; this will disable last seen entirely, however, so that you won't be able to check last seen time and date either as well. To make the change, open Settings > Account > Privacy and change "last seen" on the page to Nobody or "My contacts". End

WhatsApp Ghost is a useful application for Android devices that automates that process for you. Instead of having to disable the network connections manually, it does so automatically for you when you run the software.

Even better, it displays all of your contacts and messages right after you run the Ghost application, so that you can read the messages comfortably without having to tap again to start WhatsApp manually.

Once you have read all the messages that you wanted to read, you can hit the back button. This displays a basic interface which you can use to turn off Ghost Mode again. If you do, all network connections are established again.

The WhatsApp Ghost application terminates Wi-Fi and wireless connections on your mobile device and launches the original WhatsApp application afterwards.

The only thing you have to change is to tap on the Ghost application icon when you want to use it instead of on the WhatsApp icon. Everything else remains the same.

Note that it hides the last seen status of your WhatsApp contacts, but that cannot be changed unfortunately and is not caused by the app but by how the WhatsApp application handles this.

Closing Words

WhatsApp Ghost is a handy app for Android if you want to check WhatsApp messages regularly without being shown as online to contacts.

If that is something that you only need to do occasionally, then it may make sense to use the manual way instead, as it avoids having to install another application on your device that you do not use a lot.

Summary
WhatsApp Ghost: use WhatsApp without being shown as online
Article Name
WhatsApp Ghost: use WhatsApp without being shown as online
Description
WhatsApp Ghost was an application for Google's Android operating system that would hide the user's last seen time automatically.
Author
Publisher
Ghacks Technology News
Logo
Advertisement

Tutorials & Tips


Previous Post: «
Next Post: «

Comments

  1. Howgeekis said on May 2, 2020 at 12:29 am
    Reply

    A lot of people on WhatsApp have tweaked their privacy settings to turn off Last Seen, Read Receipts etc but the chat app cannot hide your online status. Hence this hack.

  2. Joshua D thompson said on May 3, 2019 at 1:38 am
    Reply

    I have personally suffered a fair share of infidelity by my ex wife who had multiple affairs during our marriage. I got a divorce after catching her in the act severally, however I needed extra help to do this so I had to hire a private investigator with the name called BILLHACKWIZARD- Everyone knows that cheating partners are the most sneaky and her phone was always glued to her so I could not have physical access no matter how much I tried. The good thing is that this Private Investigator didn’t even need to physically have my wife’s phone to get in, he hacked the device and diverted all my wife’s messages directly into my phone. Bill offers any sort of hacking related issues ranging from hacking schools data base, upgrade of grades, IP tracking and monitoring of any social media accounts etc. If you need similar help contact him via the gmail billhackwizard @ gmail dot com or text/call him on +1(314) 833-9209 ) AND you can chat him up on Whatsapp messenger +1(314) 635-7319 ) I really hate infidelity and I am trying to help everyone that is in such an emotionally abusive relationship so thank me later.

  3. Abed said on June 15, 2016 at 8:22 am
    Reply

    Heloo guys. Am getting confuse ilev above says the whatsapp ghost isn’t working and Dentistas still recommending the whatsapp ghost?
    I just want to be sure of this before I cause I any mess

    1. kajal said on October 8, 2020 at 1:06 pm
      Reply

      There is no WhatsApp ghost its all wrong. You are right a mess will be created this is all wrong information that is being given I don’t believe if there is WhatsApp ghost when there is no ghost in the world.

  4. Dentistas en Castellón said on March 16, 2016 at 7:05 pm
    Reply

    “Whenever you open the WhatsApp messaging application on your mobile device, your last seen counter is updated to reflect that.
    What this means is that any contact that you have in WhatsApp sees when you were online the last time when they open the app on their device.”

    So there is WhatsApp Ghost… pretty good issue… in order to preserve discrecionality… not everybody needs to know what are you doing and when are you doing that… Privacy is such a valuable treasure.

  5. Alex said on February 16, 2014 at 3:41 pm
    Reply

    Is there anything similar for telegram?

  6. Swarup said on February 5, 2014 at 5:06 pm
    Reply

    Personally I am using https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hiktek.wSpy which is not a bad

  7. mma173 said on February 5, 2014 at 3:44 pm
    Reply

    I wish that someone will create an Xposed Module for this. This would be the best way.

  8. Maneck said on February 5, 2014 at 11:52 am
    Reply

    A better solution is to use Whatsapp+ which has the option to hide your online status.

    Link: http://www.whatsapp-plus.net/download.php

    1. Martin Brinkmann said on February 5, 2014 at 12:45 pm
      Reply

      That’s unofficial though I assume?

      1. Maneck said on February 5, 2014 at 1:27 pm
        Reply

        Yup, I guess so. It’s a modified version of Whatsapp.

  9. GK said on February 5, 2014 at 9:50 am
    Reply

    Is there a way to prevent anyone from knowing completely that I have WhatsApp installed? As soon as you install it, contacts in your phone show with its icon next to it telling everyone who else has WhatsApp installed.

    1. 6382668372 said on September 3, 2018 at 5:17 am
      Reply

      Hai

  10. SK Wong said on February 5, 2014 at 12:43 am
    Reply

    Notification History android app may alternative way which records all notifications and read through all the messages inside this app without open WhatsApp messenger.

    Its does not appear on messenger shows the message has been read or update the latest time on WhatsApp.

  11. ilev said on February 4, 2014 at 8:49 pm
    Reply

    It is worse than that. Every time you open WhatsApp and start typing a message, everyone on you list can see that you are online in the app.

Leave a Reply

Check the box to consent to your data being stored in line with the guidelines set out in our privacy policy

We love comments and welcome thoughtful and civilized discussion. Rudeness and personal attacks will not be tolerated. Please stay on-topic.
Please note that your comment may not appear immediately after you post it.