Presence Indicators & User Statuses

The WebSocket version shows real-time online presence indicators — colored dots next to user avatars throughout the messenger. Users see at a glance who's online, away, or busy. Each user can set their own availability status. Presence updates push instantly through WebSocket — no polling, no stale state.

WebSocket version

Presence indicators require the persistent WebSocket connection. The free version cannot show real-time presence.

What it adds#

Colored dot next to every user avatar showing their current status
Three states: Online (green), Away (yellow), Do Not Disturb (red)
Instant status updates across all connected clients via WebSocket
User-selectable availability — set your own status
Visible in conversations, user lists, mini widgets, member directories
No configuration needed — automatic with WebSocket

Status meanings#

Status	Color	Trigger
Online	🟢 Green	User is connected — a page with the messenger is open
Away	🟡 Yellow	User selected Away from their own status menu
Do Not Disturb	🔴 Red	User selected Do Not Disturb — this also mutes their sound notifications
(no dot)	—	User is offline / not connected

How it works#

When a user opens a page with the messenger, their WebSocket connection registers them as Online. Away and Do Not Disturb are chosen by the user from their own status menu — there is no automatic idle detection, so a connected user stays Online until they change it themselves or disconnect.

Action	Outcome
User loads page with messenger	Online dot appears on their avatar everywhere
User selects "Away" from settings	Yellow dot shown to others
User selects "Do Not Disturb" from settings	Red dot shown to others, and their own sound notifications are muted
User closes browser entirely	Dot disappears after a short timeout

Status changes propagate to ALL connected users in real-time — no polling lag.

Where presence is shown#

Conversation headers (next to participant avatars)
Inbox conversation list (next to each thread's other participant)
Mini widgets — Friends, Users, Groups
Member directories (BuddyPress / BuddyBoss / PeepSo / Ultimate Member)
Mentions autocomplete dropdown
Recipient picker when starting a new conversation

When presence matters most#

Use case	Why presence is useful
Customer support	See if a rep is available before starting a chat
Coaching / consulting	Clients see when the coach is online
Dating community	Find users who are actively online for real-time conversation
Marketplace	Buyer sees if vendor is reachable now or later
Community manager dashboard	See team activity at a glance

Frequently asked questions#

Can users hide their presence entirely?#

Not in the default UI. To add a "Invisible" mode, hook the presence-status filter and don't broadcast the user's connection events. They'd appear offline to others while still using the chat.

How is "Away" determined?#

The user sets it themselves, from the status menu that also offers Online and Do Not Disturb. There is no automatic idle detection — the plugin does not watch mouse or keyboard activity, so someone with the messenger open stays Online until they change their status or disconnect. The menu can be hidden entirely with Allow users to set their status under WP Admin → Better Messages → Settings → Appearance.

Does presence respect privacy / multiple sites?#

Presence is per-site. A user's presence on Site A doesn't leak to Site B. Same user logged into multiple browsers shows Online if any of those is active.

Does the mobile app show presence?#

Yes — the native mobile app participates in the same presence system. Active mobile-app users appear Online. When the app is backgrounded, they show Away.

Can administrators see invisible mode bypassed?#

No — presence is symmetric. If a user is shown as Online, they ARE online. Admin viewing doesn't reveal a different state.