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Chatting with someone on WhatsApp and getting an instant reply helps to make the conversation more engaging. In business settings, it can ensure swift service delivery or a breakthrough in a project. As such, it is important to get notification when someone is online on WhatsApp.
Parents need this to monitor their kids and loved ones, and couples benefit from knowing if a partner is ignoring them or is busy. However, WhatsApp has no built-in feature that supports this. In this article, we’ll look at ways to get WhatsApp online notifications, including using KidsGuard Pro for WhatsApp, the most efficient and discreet solution.
Understanding WhatsApp’s Privacy Settings
By virtue of being one of the most widely used apps, WhatsApp has various settings to protect users. They include the ability to hide their online status and the last seen time stamp.
When a user activates these settings, it becomes difficult to track their online status for security, professional, or personal purposes. To compound the issue, the app does not have a way of alerting other users if someone is online unless they manually check it.
These settings and the need to know when someone is online on WhatsApp have led to users exploring various techniques to get notified of their contacts’ online statuses. In the next section, we’ll look at eight of these methods.
Top 8 Ways to Get Notified When Someone Is Online on WhatsApp
Below are some common approaches people take to get notifications about a target contact’s online status.
Method 1: Manually Checking the Last Seen Status
Checking the last seen time stamp manually is arguably the most popular approach used by people who want to know if someone is online on WhatsApp. This process is as follows:
- Open WhatsApp and search for the specific contact you want to check.
- Click to open the chat interface.
- Check the top of the screen to see when the contact was last seen on WhatsApp.
The main limitation of this method is that the privacy settings discussed in the previous section determine your success. If the user hides their last seen, you won’t know when they last logged into their account.
Method 2: WhatsApp Web or Desktop Notifications
WhatsApp Web has a feature for enabling desktop alerts to be informed when someone sends you a private or group message. These notifications can be activated through the following procedure:
- Open WhatsApp Web on your computer browser.
- Click the three-dot menu at the top of the screen.
- Select Settings, navigate to Notifications, then enable “Desktop Alerts” or “Sound” for new messages.
- You will get a desktop alert when someone messages you.
This method works for messages but does not notify you when someone is online on WhatsApp. Furthermore, you have to be active on both your phone and WhatsApp web to receive alerts.
Method 3: Using WhatsApp’s “Read Receipts”
WhatsApp’s “Read Receipts” tell you when someone opens your message on the app. Also referred to as blue ticks, the read receipts are identified by the delivery ticks turning blue, indicating your message was read.
Despite being a straightforward way of knowing if someone is online, read receipts do not guarantee that they will reply to your message. Additionally, the person is likely to know that you are tracking their online activity when you message them. Another limitation is that this approach also depends on the user enabling read receipts in their privacy settings.
Method 4: Third-Party Notification Apps
Another method that people often resort to is using third-party notification apps like WaStat and WaRadar that claim to alert you when someone is online on WhatsApp. These apps can be downloaded and installed on your device and require you to share several permissions that allow them to operate.
The main limitation of these apps is their unreliability. Most of the apps rely on the target user enabling last-seen and online status transparency in their privacy settings. The other issue is the inherent security risk of installing such apps on your device. The lack of data encryption and a bullet-proof data policy means that your data is likely to be exposed to third parties.
Method 5: Using WhatsApp Online Status Checker Websites
WhatsApp’s online status checker websites are another option that is prominently featured in this discussion. Websites like ChatWatch claim to enable users to track a contact’s online status and last seen by simply inputting their number in their tool.
Like the third-party apps, these websites are also unreliable and have no definite way of bypassing WhatsApp’s privacy settings to reveal a person’s last seen and online status. Moreover, sharing critical information like someone’s phone number may open them up to spam calls. Your data might also be compromised as you use the platform.
Method 6: Setting Up Manual Alerts with Do Not Disturb Mode
Do Not Disturb mode (DND) allows you to block notifications when working, driving, or sleeping. This mode allows for slight modifications that enable you to receive specific alerts while it is on. You can manually select to receive WhatsApp alerts despite enabling Do Not Disturb mode, which ensures you do not miss out on any important notifications.
You can set up manual alerts with Do Not Disturb mode through the following processes.
On Android
- Swipe down to access quick settings.
- Tap on Do Not Disturb to enable it.
- Click below the icon on the font to open the DND window.
- Tap on Details to access its settings.
- Navigate to exceptions and allow WhatsApp to send you alerts while DND is on.
On iOS
- Swipe down to access your Control Center.
- Tap the Focus button and select Do Not Disturb to turn it on.
- Go to Settings →Focus →Do Not Disturb.
- Modify Allowed Notifications to enable WhatsApp alerts.
The downside to setting manual alerts with DND is the cumbersome process. It is also prone to buffering, which means you are notified of new WhatsApp messages or other alerts later than when they occur. Moreover, like most other methods on this list, it does not inform you when someone is online on WhatsApp.
Method 7: Using Android or iOS Tracking Apps
System tracking apps like AirDroid can help you remotely track and log notifications on an Android or iOS device. These apps keep a record of all notifications received on the target device, promising to give you a simplified view of the alerts.
Although such apps can work well for tracking general notifications, their performance is unreliable as it depends on other settings on the target device. Moreover, they cannot tell you if someone is online on WhatsApp.
Method 8: Using KidsGuard Pro for WhatsApp
KidsGuard Pro for WhatsApp is a solution that is specifically designed to help you track the WhatsApp activity of a target user. The app works best in parental control and monitoring instances, alerting you to when your kid goes online on WhatsApp or when they were last seen, regardless of their privacy settings.
You can set up this secure method of WhatsApp online status monitoring through the following simple procedure.
- Visit the ClevGuard website and sign up for an account using your email.
- Navigate the products list and click on KidsGuard Pro for WhatsApp.
- Click on Monitor Now to be redirected to the pricing page, where you can select a plan that fits your budget and needs.
- Once you’ve paid for it, return to your account and check the My Product section.
- If your child uses an Android device, download the app and install it directly. For iPhones, download the app to your computer and then connect the device manually with a USB cable. Alternatively, log into the iCloud account with the child’s ID or connect to the same Wi-Fi network as the computer.
- Log in to your online dashboard, bind the device, and start monitoring WhatsApp activity. You will be notified each time the user is online.
KidsGuard Pro for WhatsApp is an excellent solution because:
- Stealth Mode: Your child will never know that you are monitoring their online status and last seen.
- Continuous Monitoring and Instant Notifications: The solution continually monitors the target WhatsApp account, provided there is an internet connection. It also alerts you immediately of any status change.
- Easy-to-Use: The interface is user-friendly, enabling even non-experts to monitor WhatsApp like pros. Moreover, KidsGuard Pro for WhatsApp does not require jailbreaking or rooting to set up.
- Additional Tracking Capabilities: Unlike other tools covered in this review, KidsGuard Pro for WhatsApp is not limited to online status and last seen monitoring. The app also tracks other WhatsApp activity, including shared media, calls, and messages.
Legal and Ethical Considerations
No matter the reason for setting up WhatsApp online notifications of a target account, legal and ethical considerations must be made. In most communities, phone tracking is frowned upon as an intrusion of privacy. Moreover, the action is punishable by law in some jurisdictions.
Therefore, it is essential to ensure that you do it ethically by seeking consent or informing the target contact that you will be monitoring their WhatsApp status. Furthermore, restrict yourself to only monitoring their availability on the app instead of micromanaging their lives or using gathered information to blackmail them.
Conclusion
Getting notifications about someone’s availability on WhatsApp is key to effective communication in a professional setting. For parents, this information is key to ensuring healthy digital habits in their kids.
While this article discusses numerous methods, we urge you to use the most reliable and ethical approach: KidsGuard Pro for WhatsApp. The app simplifies the monitoring process and provides additional parental control tools. Get started today by signing up for an account on the official website, and enjoy a free three-day trial.
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This content is brought to you by Atif Sharif
Photo provided by the author.
