When someone calls you on WhatsApp, are they online - briefly?
When someone calls you on WhatsApp, their status is automatically updated to "Last Seen" at the time of the call. This means that even if they were previously offline or inactive, their status will reflect that they are currently online when they initiate a call.
When someone calls you on WhatsApp, are they online - in detail?
When someone calls you on WhatsApp, it does not necessarily mean that they are currently online. The call functionality on WhatsApp works similarly to how phone calls work: as long as the caller has an active internet connection, they can make a call regardless of whether the recipient is online or not.
WhatsApp uses your device's data or Wi-Fi connection to place and receive calls. When a user makes a call, WhatsApp attempts to establish a voice over IP (VoIP) connection with the recipient. If the recipient is offline at the time of the call, WhatsApp will still attempt to deliver the call notification as soon as the recipient comes back online.
It's also important to note that even if someone calls you on WhatsApp and you miss the call, it does not mean they were online at the exact moment of the call. The missed call notification simply indicates that the caller attempted to reach you while your device was off or not connected to the internet.
In summary, a WhatsApp call does not provide real-time information about whether the caller is currently online. It only indicates that they had an active internet connection at some point before or during the call attempt.