Alert: Your Instagram followers can see if you’re online!

You’re in the Reels-scrolling zone, and a friend suddenly sends some not-so-hilarious memes. The constant notifications drive you nuts. But the situation worsens when your friend sees you’re online and still not responding. It’s probably time to answer dramatic, emotional questions. But before that, change your Instagram active status so that no one else hinders your Reels time!

Many social media apps – from WhatsApp to Instagram – allow us to see when friends are active on these platforms. While this feature may green-light a catch-up with a friend, it also signals a privacy concern for some social media users.

And where there’s a potential privacy issue, there’s usually a setting to fix it. Such is the case with Instagram’s activity status. Turn off this default feature, preventing followers from knowing when you’re online.

Learn how to turn off active status on Instagram and go off the grid when you need a social media break.

What does “active” mean on Instagram?

The simple answer to this question is when an individual is browsing Instagram at any given time, they’re considered “active” – indicated by a green dot beside their profile picture.  

How to see who’s active on Instagram

The active status feature is only visible when you and someone else follow each other. Here’s how to find if your pal is online.  

• Profile photos: Look at the profile photos of your followers at the top of your direct messages (DMs) page. A small green dot in the lower right-hand corner of their profile photo confirms their active status.
• Chat list: As you scroll down the list of people you’ve been talking to, those who are currently online will have a little green dot on their profile photo, along with the words “Active now.” Even if a user isn’t online, you can see when they read your last message, depicted by “Seen Xh ago.”
• Chat header: When you actively chat with an IG pal, you’ll see an “Active now” notification at the top of the chat. When they’re talking to you, this status changes to “You’re both in the chat.”

How to appear offline on Instagram

Some individuals feel uncomfortable sharing their Instagram coming and going status with other users, and that’s totally okay. If you wish to hide your Instagram active status, here’s how.

From your smartphone (iPhone or Android)

1. Open the Instagram app for iOS or Android.
2. Select your profile picture in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.
3. Tap on the three horizontal lines (the hamburger icon) in the top right-hand corner of the page.
4. Click “Settings” from the pop-up menu.
5. Select “Privacy.”
6. Choose “Activity Status.”
7. Toggle the “Show Activity Status” and/or “Show When You’re Active Together” sliders to the “Off” position.

On your Desktop

1. Open the Instagram web application.
2. Tap on your profile icon.
3. Click the “Settings” gear icon.
4. Select “Privacy and security” from the pop-up menu.
5. Look for the “Activity status” header.
6. Uncheck the “Show activity status” or move the toggle to the “Off” position.

What is Instagram’s Quiet mode?

If the constant notifications are hindering your focus or you’re just looking for a temporary disconnect from Instagram, this feature is for you.

Quiet mode, when activated, pauses all notifications, and if a user DMs you, the app sends an automated reply, saying “ The user wasn’t notified about this message as they’re in quiet mode.”  

Here’s how you can enable it.

1. Open the Instagram app on your cell phone.
2. Click your profile picture on the bottom right-hand corner of the screen.
3. Tap on More (the hamburger icon) on the top left corner of the screen.
4. Select Settings.
5. Tap on Notifications.
6. Click Quiet mode.
7. Move the toggle to turn it on.

And voilà – Instagram is zzz!    

What to do after turning off the activity status

So you unchecked your activity status on the app, but does that mean you won’t be able to see your feed or scroll through Reels? Not quite. Hiding the activity status means anyone who follows you or has been chatting with you won’t be able to see if you’re currently active. If you also turn off the option to show when someone is in the same chat as you, others won’t know when you’re online, even if you’re typing to them.

As a result of turning off your activity status, you won’t see certain aspects of others’ statuses. You’ll no longer notice when people are online, which means you’ll neither see the profile photos of your active friends at the top of your DMs page nor the green dot and the words “Active now” next to their names.

You will no longer be able to see when people are online, which means you will no longer see the profile photos of your friends who are active at the top of your DMs page or the green dot next to their names in your chats. You also will no longer see the words “Active now” next to their names.

The only feature visible in your DMs will be the last message you exchanged with a contact. And, if you sent the message, you’ll see when the recipient last viewed it.

Alternatives to turning off your activity status

If you’re not ready to turn off your activity status but still need a breather, try these other workarounds for taking some space on the ’gram.

• Mute someone: Muting a user means pausing interactions, including DMs, as well as posts and stories in your feed. However, they still see your content.
• Adjust your IG notifications: When taking a break from Instagram, turn off notifications about messages, likes and other interactions so you’re not tempted to log back on whenever you get a notification.
• Block a user: If you receive unwanted messages or spam from a user, block them. Although Instagram won’t notify them, their likes and comments will disappear from your posts. Also, they won’t be able to access your content.

Having second thoughts?

Turning off your active status on Instagram is a great way to protect your privacy and browse the platform without others knowing if you’re online. But, if you feel like you’re missing out, you can always turn this feature back on by following the steps above – just reverse the toggle to the “On” position or check the “Show activity status.”

Learn more about how to shift other privacy settings on Instagram and other platforms, flag sensitive content on Twitter or block a user on Instagram on our blog. And, if you have too many social media accounts, hop on to Linktree, get a URL and manage everything seamlessly!