FACEBOOK-OWNED WhatsApp will reportedly let users hide their online status from anyone who can't be trusted.

As spotted by WABetaInfo, new privacy tools are in development to allow control over exactly who can see parts of a user's profile, reports Android Police.

Currently, "Last Seen," "Profile Picture" and "About" can either be seen by everyone, contacts, or no one at all. There are no customisable options, the report said.

Those limitations will be lifted soon, as WhatsApp is currently testing the ability to exclude specific contacts from seeing your status, it added.

With this option, users will be able to hide their "Last Seen" time from a handful of people without disabling it altogether.