Read, online, last active: what others may see
Ticks under a message, a green dot on a profile, “last active five minutes ago”: such signals are handy, but they can also create pressure. On Friendstime you decide what others see. Here is how to set it up in the browser and in the app.
Send read receipts
In a private chat, the ticks next to your message show whether it has been read. In the privacy settings you switch off “Send read receipts”; then others no longer see that you have read their messages, in one-to-one and group chats. The setting belongs to your account and applies to all your devices and the web.
Read by in groups
In chat groups, the Android app shows which members have read your own messages. Only members who have “Send read receipts” switched on appear as having read. Anyone who has switched it off does not show up in the list.
Online status in the browser
Under “Privacy”, switch off “Show me as online”. Others then see neither the green dot nor “last active”. You also choose who may see “Last seen online”: Everyone, Friends only or No one. Friendstime only shows “last active” when your online status is visible as well.
Online status in the app
In the Android app there is a switch to hide your online status, plus selectors for online status and last seen with Public, Friends only or Only me. Someone counts as online if their device sent a sign of life in the last 60 seconds; the app does so roughly every 30 seconds, less often in battery saver mode. Between blocked people the status is never shown.
What stays visible anyway
While you type, the other person in a private chat sees a note; when you record a voice message it only appears if you record in the Android app. And the server has to know who a message goes to and when, so that it arrives. End-to-end encryption cannot hide this connection data either.
Try it yourself
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Frequently asked questions
How do I turn off read receipts?
In the privacy settings with the “Send read receipts” switch. The setting applies to one-to-one and group chats and on all your devices.
How do I hide when I was last online?
Switch off “Show me as online”; then Friendstime does not show “last active” either. You can also limit “Last seen online” to friends or no one.
When do I count as online?
When your device has sent a sign of life within the last 60 seconds. The Android app sends one roughly every 30 seconds.
Can blocked people see my online status?
No. Between blocked people the status is not shown.