How to Turn Off Active Status on Instagram

As someone who values privacy, I’ve often found Instagram’s Active Status feature to be a double-edged sword. While it’s designed to show friends and followers when you’re online or recently active, it can feel intrusive, especially if you want to browse Instagram without interruptions or notifications.

If you’re aiming to manage your online visibility or minimize unwanted interactions, learn How to turn off Active Status on Instagram.

What Is Active Status on Instagram

The Active Status feature is Instagram’s way of showing your availability. A small green dot is displayed next to your profile picture in Direct Messages (DMs) to indicate that you are currently online. Additionally, Instagram displays a timestamp like “Active 15 minutes ago” if you’ve recently logged out. This feature is visible only to people you follow or have messaged, ensuring that not everyone on your follower list can see your activity.

While it can be useful for those who want to engage in real-time conversations, it’s not ideal for users like me who prefer a quieter experience. Turning it off ensures that no one can see when I’m online or last active—and as a trade-off, I won’t see their statuses either. Want less noise in your feed? Turn off people you may know suggestions.

Why Turn Off Active Status

There are several reasons why I decided to turn off my Active Status:

• Privacy: I don’t always want people knowing when I’m online or how recently I’ve been active.
• Reduced Interruptions: Disabling this feature minimizes the chances of receiving messages just because someone sees me online.
• Focus: It allows me to scroll through my feed or explore content without feeling pressured to respond immediately.
• Professional Boundaries: For those of us juggling personal and professional contacts on Instagram, hiding our activity can help maintain boundaries.

While managing your online presence by disabling your Active Status on Instagram, you might also want to hide the ‘Discover People’ feature to further enhance your privacy. Check out how to enable or disable Vanish Mode when chatting.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Turn Off Active Status on Instagram

Whether you’re using an iPhone or Android device, the process is the same:

• Open the Instagram App
• Open the application and sign in to your account if you are not logged in. Open your profile by tapping the icon located in the lower-right corner of the phone.
  
  
  Access Settings
  On your profile page, tap the three-line menu (hamburger icon) in the top-right corner. From the pop-up menu, select Settings.
  
  
  
  Navigate to Privacy Settings
  Go to your profile page and press the three-line menu (also known as the hamburger icon) located in the top-right corner. Choose “Settings” from the menu that appears.
  
  
  Find Activity Status
  Choose Activity Status option by scrolling down under the “Interactions” section and open it.
  
    
  Turn Off Show Activity Status
  You’ll see a toggle labeled Show Activity Status, which is enabled by default. Simply swipe it to the left to disable it.
  
  
  Confirm Changes
  After disabling, people will not be able to view when you’re online or your last activity. Similarly, you won’t be able to view their statuses either.

How to Turn Off Active Status on Instagram via Web Browser

If you’re using Instagram on a desktop or laptop, see how to turn off Active Status on Instagram after following these steps:

• Navigate to Settings
• Open Messages and Story Replies
  • After opening Settings menu, find the section labeled How Others Can Interact With You.
  • Tap on Messages and Story Replies to access options related to your interactions.
• Locate Activity Status
  • Scroll down until you find the option labeled Show Activity Status. This is the option where you can control whether others see your online activity.
• Turn Active Status On or Off
  • If you want to disable your Active Status, hit the toggle switch next to Show Activity Status so it turns off.
  • You can also enable it again in the future, simply click the toggle switch back on.

Things to Keep in Mind When Disabling Active Status

Before turning off this feature, there are a few important steps worth noting:

• Mutual Visibility: After disabling your Active Status, you won’t be able to see others’ statuses either. This is Instagram’s way of maintaining bidirectional privacy.
• Real-Time Updates: The change takes effect immediately after toggling off the setting.
• Limited Scope: Only people you follow back or have messaged can see your activity status by default; disabling it hides this information from them entirely.

Understanding these nuances helped me make an informed decision about whether turning off this feature was right for me.

Additional Tips for Managing Privacy on Instagram

If privacy is a priority for you like it is for me, here are some additional steps you can take:

• Restrict Who Can Message You
  Change the Privacy settings to limit who can send you direct messages or story replies.
• Turn Off Read Receipts
  While Instagram doesn’t let you disable read receipts entirely, avoiding opening DMs ensures that others won’t know if you’ve seen their messages.
• Limit Contact Syncing
  Disable contact syncing under Account settings to prevent Instagram from suggesting accounts based on your phone contacts.
• Use Quiet Mode Features
  If notifications are overwhelming, enable Do Not Disturb or similar quiet modes on your device while browsing Instagram.

By combining these steps with disabling Active Status, I’ve created a much more peaceful and private experience on the app.

My Experience After Turning Off Active Status

After disabling my Active Status, I noticed an immediate difference in how I use Instagram:

• No more feeling obligated to respond just because someone saw me online.
• Fewer interruptions from messages while scrolling through my feed.
• A greater sense of control over my interactions with followers and friends.

For someone like me who values privacy and prefers using social media at my own pace, turning off this feature has been a game-changer.

Final Thoughts

Instagram’s Active Status feature may be helpful for some users who enjoy real-time interactions, but for others like me who prioritize privacy and uninterrupted browsing, disabling it is a must. Whether through the mobile app or web browser, turning off this feature is quick and easy—and it makes a significant difference in managing how others perceive your availability online.