Feature Request: Privacy modification to "online friends"

Greetings, Lichess users and developers!

Users of this platform usually log in to their accounts to play chess, but Lichess offers other services besides games: puzzles, study, classes, Lichess TV, streamers, video library, forum, analysis tools...

Many users connect to Lichess to use these tools. However, they are often interrupted by challenges sent by users who appear on their list of followers.

This happens because the "online friends" feature allows them to know when a specific user is using their account. This feature is a good thing in itself, but it harms the privacy of people who want to go unnoticed while spending their time on non-playful activities.

Personally, I am annoyed when I am interrupted in the middle of a analysis, when I am participating in a study, watching a game or tournament, or writing and reading forum posts.

There is the possibility of ignoring or rejecting incoming challenges, but some friends consider it rude and others insist on sending more challenges despite the rejections.

For this reason, I suggest adding a "DO NOT DISTURB" feature. The purpose of this function could be:

- To TEMPORARILY HIDE your presence from other users, or
- Let your followers know that you are online, but NOT AVAILABLE to play.

These measures prevent the above-mentioned drawbacks.

Thank you!



P.D. In the Privacy preferences there is a feature called "Let other players challenge you", but my suggestion is for the inclusion of a switch that is in a more accessible location and can be turned on and off with a click or a shortcut key.

I think there is a thing for turning off challenges maybe?

Yes there is a setting in privacies allowing you to turn off challenges.
There is also something for turning off notifications but not in the setting privacy part ;)

Wait no actually in preferences you CAN turn off messages

@Ugalde There's a whole boatload of privacy settings you can change right here:
lichess.org/account/preferences/privacy

EDIT: Sorry, I didn't read your whole message.

This sounds heartless, but the suggestion has been made before and probably at this time a browser extension is more likely to happen than Lichess changing code.

I agree with this sooooo much. Like in Skype and discord you can set status, there might as well be such a feature on lichess. So when you are playing you set one status, when you aren't playing and won't accept challenges, you set a different status. And people know when they can challenge you, instead of challenging in an inappropriate time and get declined and assume you don't want challenges ever.