Chats, Presence & Privacy

The account-level surface of the socket: how your bot appears, what it does with chats, and every privacy switch WhatsApp exposes.

Presence

Method	Notes
`sendPresenceUpdate(type, toJid?)`	`type`: `'available' \| 'unavailable' \| 'composing' \| 'recording' \| 'paused'`. Without `toJid` it sets your global presence; with one, the typing/recording indicator in that chat
`presenceSubscribe(toJid, tcToken?)`	Subscribe to a contact's presence — required before `presence.update` events arrive for them
`readMessages(keys)`	Mark messages as read (blue ticks) — the polite bot pattern: read, then reply
`sendReceipt(jid, participant, messageIds, type)` / `sendReceipts(keys, type)`	Lower-level receipt control: `'read' \| 'read-self' \| 'played' \| …`

await sock.sendPresenceUpdate('composing', jid)   // "typing…"
await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, 1200))       // humans don't answer in 0 ms
await sock.sendPresenceUpdate('paused', jid)
await sock.readMessages([m.key])
await sock.sendMessage(jid, { text: 'Here you go.' })

With AunuAntiBan's typing simulation on (the default), text/caption sends do the composing step for you — don't double it.

Profile

Method	Notes
`profilePictureUrl(jid, type?, timeoutMs?)`	`type: 'preview' \| 'image'` — thumbnail or full-size URL. Returns `undefined` when the picture is private/absent
`updateProfilePicture(jid, content)`	Set a profile picture. Since v1.0.4 the crop is centered (upstream cropped top-left) and jimp v1 works again
`removeProfilePicture(jid)`	Remove the picture
`updateProfileName(name)` / `updateProfileStatus(status)`	Your account's display name and "about" text
`fetchStatus(...jids)`	Status/about text for numbers
`getBusinessProfile(jid)`	Business profile (description, email, websites, hours) when the account is a business

Chat management

Method	Notes
`chatModify(mod, jid)`	The one call behind archive/pin/mute/read state — see the recipes below
`star(jid, messages, star)`	Star/unstar specific messages (`messages: [{ id, fromMe }]`)
`addChatLabel(jid, labelId)` / `removeChatLabel(jid, labelId)`	Business labels on chats
`addMessageLabel(jid, messageId, labelId)` / `removeMessageLabel(...)`	Business labels on individual messages
`addLabel(jid, labelAction)`	Create/edit label definitions
`fetchDisappearingDuration(...jids)`	Current disappearing-message duration per chat
`updateDefaultDisappearingMode(duration)`	Default timer for new chats (seconds)

// Archive a chat, pin another, mute a loud one for 8 hours
await sock.chatModify({ archive: true }, quietJid)
await sock.chatModify({ pin: true }, importantJid)
await sock.chatModify({ mute: Date.now() + 8 * 60 * 60 * 1000 }, loudJid)
// Mark as unread for yourself, and clear:
await sock.chatModify({ markRead: false }, jid)
await sock.chatModify({ clear: 'all' }, jid)

Blocklist & contacts

Method	Notes
`fetchBlocklist()`	All blocked JIDs
`updateBlockStatus(jid, 'block' \| 'unblock')`	Block or unblock — changes fire `blocklist.update`
`onWhatsApp(...jids)`	Check which numbers are registered on WhatsApp → `{ exists, jid }[]` (input in international format)
`addOrEditContact(jid, contactAction)` / `removeContact(jid)`	Address-book sync actions

const [info] = await sock.onWhatsApp('12125550123')
if (info?.exists) console.log('Registered as', info.jid)

Privacy settings — the complete switchboard

Read everything at once with fetchPrivacySettings(); write each switch individually:

Method	Values
`updateLastSeenPrivacy(value)`	`'all' \| 'contacts' \| 'contact_blacklist' \| 'none'` (per-switch enums vary slightly — the types enforce them)
`updateProfilePicturePrivacy(value)`
`updateStatusPrivacy(value)`
`updateGroupsAddPrivacy(value)`
`updateOnlinePrivacy(value)`	`'all' \| 'match_last_seen'`
`updateReadReceiptsPrivacy(value)`	`'all' \| 'none'`
`updateCallPrivacy(value)`	Who can call the account
`updateMessagesPrivacy(value)`	Message-related privacy mode
`updateDisableLinkPreviewsPrivacy(bool)`	Stop generating link previews for your own sends

Privacy is account-wide, not per-bot-session. These switches change the real WhatsApp account's settings and are visible in the phone app. Set them deliberately — ideally once, at provisioning time.