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If you’re an active member of a WhatsApp group, you might have noticed the challenge of determining who is online at any given time. Currently, there’s no way to check if all group members are online. However, WhatsApp is reportedly testing a feature that will display the number of users online in a group, boosting communication by making it clearer and more engaging. This new feature works by allowing you to view the count of online participants directly in the top app bar of group chats.

Here’s how the feature works

Previously, the top bar in group chats displayed a summary of group participants’ names. With this update, WhatsApp has reportedly replaced this with a real-time count of the number of participants who are online. This allows group members to quickly check how many people in the group are active, WABetaInfo reported.

It’s important to note that this number reflects participants who have the app open, not necessarily those actively engaged in the conversation. Additionally, participants who have disabled their online status visibility in WhatsApp’s privacy settings will be excluded from the count, ensuring their privacy remains intact.

Why is this feature useful? Well, for those in active groups, knowing how many members are online provides valuable insight into when you can expect prompt replies. This is particularly beneficial in larger groups, where real-time conversations are more likely if several members are online simultaneously.

Availability

Currently, this feature is in beta and is available to a limited number of beta testers with the latest version of WhatsApp for Android, downloadable from the Google Play Store. According to WABetaInfo, the feature is expected to roll out to more users in the coming weeks.