BuddyPress Stealth Mode for Site Admin 1.2.8

BuddyPress Stealth Mode for Site Admin is a specialized utility plugin developed by BuddyDev. Its primary purpose is to allow site administrators and super admins to browse, test, and manage a BuddyPress or BuddyBoss community site without leaving "digital footprints" that are visible to regular members.

As of late 2025, it remains a vital tool for community managers who need to perform maintenance or moderation tasks privately.

1. Core "Invisible" Features

Hide Last Active Time: BuddyPress usually tracks exactly when a user was last online. This plugin stops that timer for admins, preventing members from seeing when the boss is "watching."

Member List Invisibility: Admins will not appear in the "Who’s Online" or "Recently Active" widgets, nor will they appear in the main Member Directory.

Activity Stream Suppression: Any actions the admin takes (e.g., joining a group, posting a test update, or changing a profile field) are blocked from being recorded in the sitewide activity feed.

Stealth Toggle: Admins can turn the stealth mode ON or OFF at any time from their profile settings, allowing them to participate as a regular member when desired.

2. How It Works (The Mechanics)

The plugin works by hooking into the BuddyPress core activity-recording functions.

Login Trigger: When a Site Admin logs in, the plugin checks their stealth preference. If enabled, it tells BuddyPress to "stop recording" last activity timestamps.

Database Neutral: It doesn't delete your account; it simply filters the SQL queries that BuddyPress uses to generate member lists, effectively "skipping" over admin IDs.

Role-Based Control: While primarily for Super Admins, recent updates allow for more granular control over which administrative roles can access the stealth feature.

3. Technical Specifications

Feature

Details

Developer

BuddyDev (Brajesh Singh)

Compatibility

WordPress 6.x+, BuddyPress 12.0+, and BuddyBoss Platform

License

GNU General Public License (GPL)

Where to Find

Available via the BuddyDev website

Settings Location

User Profile -> Settings -> Stealth Mode

4. Why Use Stealth Mode?

Security: Prevents malicious users from identifying the specific admin username to target for brute-force attacks.

Privacy during Testing: Allows you to test new group features or profile fields without notifying the entire community through the activity feed.

Moderation: Lets admins observe community behavior without "chilling" the conversation by their visible presence.

How can I help you with BuddyPress Stealth Mode?

Setup: Would you like a step-by-step guide on how to assign the Stealth Mode component to a specific WordPress page during setup?

Code Alternatives: Are you looking for a code snippet to manually hide specific user IDs without using a full plugin?

BuddyBoss: Do you need to know if this plugin conflicts with the native "Private Profile" features in the BuddyBoss theme?

Would you like me to find the specific "bp-custom.php" code snippet that allows you to hide the admin profile via a simple function?