What Online Status Means in a Realtime Chat App
An online dot is a technical signal, not a description of someone's attention. Realtime presence changes as browsers connect, sleep, switch networks, and reconnect.
Presence follows the realtime connection
Funchat considers a guest online when the authenticated realtime service has an active connection for that user. The member list updates when connections join or leave, and multiple open tabs should still represent one participant rather than inventing extra people.
Phones interrupt connections often
A mobile operating system may pause a browser in the background to save battery. Wi-Fi can hand over to mobile data, tunnels can change, and a device can sleep. These events may briefly show an outdated state until the socket disconnects or reconnects.
Offline does not remove the conversation
A private thread remains in the conversation list when the other participant disconnects. Messages can be stored for the intended recipient according to the product rules, and unread counts update when they return and receive or open the conversation.
Online is not available
Someone can be connected while reading another chat, typing slowly, away from the screen, or choosing not to respond. Do not treat the green dot as consent for repeated messages. One respectful message followed by patience is the correct approach.
Refresh only when the interface is clearly stale
The app normally updates presence automatically. If the whole member list appears frozen after a network change, wait for reconnection and then reload once. Repeated refreshing will not force another person online and may interrupt your own session.
- Online means an active authenticated connection
- Mobile sleep can delay status changes
- Offline guests can still have an existing thread
- Presence never creates an obligation to reply