Track and Display Last Login Time in WordPress

You can display a user’s last login time in WordPress by hooking into the login process and saving the login timestamp. Here’s how to set this up:

Step 1: Open your theme’s functions.php file.

Step 2: Add the following code snippet:

// Record last login time
function update_last_login($user_login) {
    $user = get_user_by('login', $user_login);
    $current_time = current_time('mysql');
    update_user_meta($user->ID, 'last_login', $current_time);
}
add_action('wp_login', 'update_last_login', 10, 2);

// Display last login time
function display_last_login() {
    if (is_user_logged_in()) {
        $user = wp_get_current_user();
        $last_login = get_user_meta($user->ID, 'last_login', true);

        if ($last_login) {
            $formatted_date = date_i18n(get_option('date_format') . ' ' . get_option('time_format'), strtotime($last_login));
            echo 'Last login: ' . $formatted_date;
        }
    }
}

Step 3: Save the file and upload it.

Step 4: Use this line where you want the login time displayed:

<?php display_last_login(); ?>

1. Why Display Last Login Time?
   • Boosts user transparency
   • Improves trust and accountability
   • Enhances login security awareness
2. Technical Breakdown
   • Hooks: wp_login
   • Functions: get_user_by(), update_user_meta()
   • Formatting: date_i18n()
3. Customization Ideas
   • Show login time only to admins
   • Display user info along with login
   • Enhance output via styling or shortcodes
4. SEO & Privacy Tips
   • Use clean meta keys (e.g., last_login)
   • Respect user roles and privacy settings
   • Avoid showing sensitive data to others